Libya (MNN) — After over two years behind bars, six Libyan Christians and two foreigners remain in legal limbo as their trial faces another delay. The trial was initially planned for August 2023 but has been postponed several times.
Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs USA (VOM) says, “The latest we have now is that, again, the trial or the announcement of the verdict has been delayed until mid-April.
“It’s still not clear publicly what the charges are — if they are being charged with apostasy or leaving Islam, which could carry potentially a death penalty, or if they’re charged with something that would be a lesser charge. We don’t know the cause for the delays.”
As April approaches, the fate of these Christian converts remains uncertain. Authorities have not provided any official explanation for the repeated postponements. Religious freedom advocates remain concerned about what’s happening behind the scenes.
According to a VOM front-line worker, these believers have been in prison since 2022 simply for “being obedient to God’s Word and sharing it with others in the country.”
Islam in Libya. (Photo courtesy of Arwa Shambesh/Unsplash)
Libya, a predominantly Muslim nation, has long been a hostile environment for Christian converts from Islam. On the 2025 World Watch List of countries with the worst Christian persecution, Libya is ranked in 4th place.
While persecution has always been a reality, the arrests of these individuals have exacerbated tensions.
Nettleton says, “One of the things that has happened because of the arrest of these Christians is it has become a little more challenging. It’s more out in the open that the government is against the Church. The government does not want Muslim converts. They don’t want people to be sharing their faith. So that has added to the pressure against living Christians. It’s not like they didn’t have pressure before! They certainly did. But it has increased as this has dragged on and as this case is going forward.”
Nettleton urges believers, “We can be in prayer for these members of our family who literally could be facing the trial for their life.
“Pray for…their emotional and spiritual well-being because of all the delays…that they would have a steadiness of spirit that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, regardless of what happens with the trial, [and] that they would just know Christ’s presence and would be strong in that.”
Header photo courtesy of VOM USA.
