Nine Methodist Church leaders in Fiji have returned to court as the military regime continues to crack down on those who speak out against it. The nine Methodists have been banned from preaching and attending meetings.

The authorities in Azerbaijan are facing allegations of abuse and repression towards both Muslim and Christian worshipers. A major Sunni mosque has been closed down while Baptists have accused the police of intimidation and violence.

Seven Methodist Church leaders in Fiji have been arrested and questioned by the country's military government. The regime is reported to fear political discussions at the Methodists' forthcoming annual conference.

The First Amendment Center in the USA has placed online the once unavailable five-volume treatise of the late Rev Dean M. Kelley, the internationally known National Council of Churches USA executive for religious liberty.

Christian churches in Kazakhstan have condemned a new draft law on religions, which they say will re-impose Soviet-style restrictions in a country where Islam has the largest number of followers.