· The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen and calling on the Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against him and other detained activists.

· A 90-year-old clergyman named "Hong Kong's conscience" was arrested on May 11, along with four other people from the "612 Humanitarian Relief Fund," established to financially support pro-democracy activists pursued by city officials.

· The European Court of Human Rights upheld the complaint of a converted Muslim man against Christianity whom Switzerland wanted to deport back to Pakistan.

· The Swiss authorities took the view that the persecution of Christians in Pakistan was not serious enough to endanger the applicant's life and freedom in the event of his return.

· The number of acts of hatred against Christians in Poland continues to increase.

· In recent years, we have been witnessing a significant spike in criminal acts identified as hate crimes.

· The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a complaint by left-wing activists who had sought the removal of provisions in the Irish constitution requiring a person about to assume the office of president, or member of the Council of State, to take the oath with reference to God.

· The complainants, who claim to be non-believers, argued that such an obligation violates their freedom of conscience and religion.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has published its annual report, which shows that the number of religious hate crimes continues to increase. Christians are their target in all of the OSCE member states. It is shaped, amongst others, by the political and media marginalisation of this social group or presenting its detrimental image.