Utrecht marches silently for 388 million Christians
Open Doors' World Watch List 2026 reports extreme persecution in 15 countries, two more than the previous count.
Utrecht marched in silence. Hundreds of Christians walked the streets of that Dutch city to remember persecuted believers around the world, according to La Corriente. No shouts or slogans: silence was the message.
A walk without slogans
The mobilization, called Walk of Hope, began near Utrecht Central Station. Participants moved through several streets with signs showing names of countries where Christians are harassed, and with banners calling for an end to persecution.
The walk ended around 2:30 p.m. (local time) at Moreelsepark. There, Christian leaders spoke and there was prayer for those who suffer for their faith. The silence was not a void: it was a way of naming those who cannot speak.
«The silence was not a void: it was a way of naming those who cannot speak.»
The event was backed by Open Doors Netherlands and SDOK, an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians. Richard Groenenboom, spokesperson for SDOK, stressed the importance of thinking, praying and standing with those who make enormous sacrifices just to follow Jesus.
388 million under pressure
The weight of that walk is better understood with Open Doors' World Watch List 2026. That report estimates that more than 388 million Christians today face high levels of persecution or discrimination because of their faith. The study mainly analyzes the period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
Fifteen countries experience persecution that the report classifies as extreme, two more than in the previous edition. For Open Doors, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia continue to concentrate the harshest hotspots, in contexts marked by extremist groups and authoritarian governments.
What went up and what went down
Christians killed for their faith rose from 4,476 to 4,849. Recorded physical or psychological attacks increased from 54,780 to 67,843, and reports of rape or sexual harassment, from 3,123 to 4,055. Forced marriages to non-Christians also grew, from 821 to 1,147, and believers convicted for their faith, from 1,140 to 1,298.
A total of 201,427 believers were forced to leave their homes or hide within their own country, and 22,702 left their nation. Kidnappings fell to 3,302 cases, although they remain at critical levels. Attacks against churches and properties dropped from 7,679 to 3,632.
Behind every figure there are separated families, scattered congregations and people who hide what they believe in order to stay alive. In Utrecht, meanwhile, a crowd walked without fear through the street.
That cannot be fixed with security, money or politics. The hope of the church is in Christ, who sustains his own even where faith costs life.
Scripture says it plainly: "If one member suffers, all suffer together" (1 Corinthians 12:26, ESV). And Hebrews 13:3 adds: "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them" (Hebrews 13:3, ESV).
This week you can do something concrete: choose a country from the list, find it on a map and pray for it, alone or with your small group. Write its name where you see it daily. Which country would you pray for?
