A new study has shown a correlation between high levels of government corruption and increased persecution of Christian communities across several nations. The Christian Post (CP) wrote that a report by US-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern (ICC) titled Corruption and Christian Persecution and authored by ICC Fellow Lisa Navarrette, shows that corrupt governments often fail to protect minority rights, leading to environments where Christian persecution is either ignored or tacitly supported.
The report compares those nations the ICC has identified as the worst countries for Christian persecution since 2021 and the Corruption Perceptions Index scores assigned to those countries by Transparency International. The index ranks nations based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 as highly corrupt and 100 as extremely clean.
Somalia Is the world’s worst offender based on the corruption index with a score of just 11 — marginally ahead of Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, Yemen and Nicaragua.
The worst offender that the ICC focuses on is North Korea (Index 17) which regularly tops the Christian persecution watchlist of another watchdog, Open Doors. The ICC writes: “Corruption often takes the form of bribery, embezzlement, nepotism and cronyism, with elites and members of the ruling party benefitting disproportionately from access to resources and privileges.” Since Christianity is considered “a tool of Western imperialism” and a threat to the ruling regime, “Christian persecution in North Korea is severe and systematic.” Christians in North Korea are reportedly subject to arrest, imprisonment, torture and execution for practicing their faith or possessing religious materials.
In Myanmar (20), the report says: “The combination of corruption and religious persecution manifests through systemic discrimination enforced by both government and military forces. Historical and ongoing corruption within Myanmar’s colonial-era structures allows for continued exploitation and targeting of Christian communities, particularly in regions embroiled in ethnic conflicts.”
In Eritrea (22), “Widespread corruption among government officials has facilitated a harsh clampdown on religious freedoms,” according to the report, which cites the US Department of State (2020) to point out that “the Eritrean regime’s lack of transparency and accountability enabled the perpetuation of severe human rights abuses against Christians, who are often detained in inhumane conditions without trial.”
The report says the situation in Azerbaijan (23) reflects a high tolerance for corruption among the populace which affects all layers of society, including the treatment of religious minorities. “The country’s economy, particularly its oil and gas industry, is susceptible to corrupt practices, with reports of widespread cronyism among government officials and business elites.” The predominantly Muslim country’s military seized control of the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh — a region which had been predominantly inhabited by 120,000 ethnic Armenian Christians until they all fled to Armenia in fear of persecution last year.
Report author Lisa Navarette writes that: “Weak governance structures, lack of transparency, political patronage, and the influence of powerful interest groups, organised crime and terrorist networks often facilitate corruption” in Iran (24). At the same time, Iranian Christians “experience significant persecution due to the government’s strict interpretation and enforcement of Islamic law. Christians face discrimination, harassment and persecution, including arrest, imprisonment and even execution on charges such as apostasy, evangelism and blasphemy.”
In Afghanistan (24), “Corruption permeates multiple sectors, including government and law enforcement, severely undermining legal and social protections for minorities,” according to the ICC which notes that “pervasive corruption has allowed extremist interpretations of Islamic law to flourish, putting Christian converts at grave risk. They face dire consequences, including death threats and social exclusion, with corrupt officials often turning a blind eye or even condoning such acts.”
In Nigeria (24), the report underlines that: “Corruption not only hampers economic development, but also directly impacts the safety of Christian populations. Corruption has facilitated a lack of accountability for acts of violence against Christians, who are the victims of nearly 70% of religious killings in the country.” It adds that suggests this neglect is often due to corrupt relationships between local officials and extremist groups.
In Pakistan (28), “Empirical evidence suggests that corruption and religious persecution have detrimental effects on the country’s economic growth. The economic ramifications are profound, as corruption and Christian persecution jointly degrade economic stability, discouraging foreign investment and stunting national growth through a cycle of instability and distrust,” the study found.
“In addition to embezzlement, bribery, nepotism and cronyism, corruption in Pakistan also manifests itself in electoral fraud. It hampers efforts to provide public services, ensure justice, and promote transparency and accountability,” the report states, pointing out Pakistani authorities often use blasphemy laws to target Christians, “resulting in arrest, imprisonment, and mob violence with attacks on churches and communities commonplace.”
In India (39), the report concludes: “The intertwining of Hindu nationalist ideology and governmental corruption synergises the oppression of religious minorities, including Christians. This collusion leads to policies and law enforcement practices that disproportionately target Christians, from police inaction to legal discrimination, under the guise of maintaining Hindu cultural supremacy.”
In China (42), the ICC writes that: ‘The government’s strict control over religious activities is worsened by corrupt practices that affect all levels of bureaucracy, enabling widespread human rights violations. As officials ascend the bureaucratic ladder, their involvement in corrupt activities increases, particularly those that suppress unauthorised religious practices. The corruption leads to severe repercussions for Christians, including surveillance, arbitrary detention and harsh punishments without due process, as the state seeks to eliminate any potential threats to its authority.”
The study also refers to the role of state-controlled narratives and corrupt media practices in public intolerance and discrimination against Christians, particularly in Middle Eastern countries. The ICC suggests that a concerted international response is critical in addressing the dual challenges of corruption and Christian persecution.
It urges advocacy groups and international bodies to collaborate more closely in imposing sanctions against corrupt officials and regimes that perpetuate religious persecution. The group further calls for international partnerships to provide asylum and support to persecuted individuals to mitigate the immediate dangers they face while also pressuring their home countries to reform.
