“Locked Up Without a Bible: The Daily Life of a Christian Imprisoned for His Faith”

In Madani, Sudan, Pastor Ahmed (pseudonym to protect his identity) remains behind the walls of a local police station since the beginning of the year. His “crime”: practice Christianity and lead prayers in their community. According to Morning Star News sources, at least 19 Christians have been arrested in Madani between January and February 2025 under vague accusations such as “threat to public security.”

Interned in a tiny cell, often without ventilation or access to clean water, its morning routine lasts hours of solo prayer. “They lift me at five; they do not allow me to read the Bible or maintain contact with my loved ones,” he tells who gets visits. The only “company” is the oppressive silence and the echo of its own thoughts, sheltered with suspicion.

Daily, captivity passes invoice: persistent headaches, chronic stress, and the uncertainty of not knowing how much its confinement will last. “The worst enemy is not outside, but within oneself,” says Ahmed. The authorities intergently interrogate him without clear accusations, maintaining his case in a calculated legal paralysis.

The pressure on Christians in Sudan is part of a growing global trend. In countries like Pakistan, dozens have been convicted under laws of blasphemy, and in Nigeria, pastors and faithful systematically assaulted by militants. For Ahmed, his faith is the only thing that holds one day after another: a brief moment of prayer, a silenced song and the hope of a fair failure.

This story reveals how religious persecution not only marginalizes, but also fragments daily life: without sacred books, without light, and without certainties. An intimate, almost invisible struggle, in each breath of those who refuse to give up their belief.