The repressive regime of North Korea has sentenced a two-year-old to life imprisonment after the toddler’s parents were found with a Bible, according to the new International Religious Freedom Report from the US State Department. The unnamed kid’s entire family was also jailed over the possession of a Bible. The incident has sparked widespread international outrage and renewed concerns about the gross human rights violations taking place within the nation. The family was reportedly apprehended by North Korean authorities during a raid on their home in the capital city of Pyongyang.

The mere possession of a Bible, deemed illegal by the totalitarian regime, led to the severe sentencing of the innocent family. According to a recent report, a detailed investigation has exposed numerous cases of North Koreans being persecuted and killed for practicing Christianity. The publication, which compiled information from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights groups, and the United Nations, sheds light on the difficult reality faced by Christians living in the country. It estimates that under the regime of Kim Jong-un, up to 70,000 Christians have been imprisoned for their faith, out of a potential Christian population of 400,000.

One particularly harrowing incident took place in 2011 when a Christian woman and her grandchild were executed by firing squad due to their religious beliefs. Disturbingly, other Christians have been subjected to brutal torture methods such as the infamous “pigeon torture,” in which their hands and legs are bound together before being suspended from the ceiling for extended periods.

Despite North Korea’s constitution supposedly guaranteeing religious freedom, this report argues that the churches in the capital city of Pyongyang serve as mere showcases for foreign visitors, lacking true religious freedom for its citizens. Many Christians in North Korea are forced to conceal their faith from their own children as a means of protecting them from persecution. The report reveals that individuals caught with a Bible in North Korea have not only faced death but have also seen their entire families, including children, sentenced to life imprisonment.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP