Washington, DC – In Defense of Christians (IDC) and For the Martyrs (FTM) will host a joint press conference to address international Christian persecution.
The press conference will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 4:00 pm (ET) at IDC headquarters (1023 15th Street NW, Washington, DC) and live streamed on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). The press conference will address several developing cases of international Christian persecution, including:
- Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)
- Coptic persecution in Egypt
- The plight of Syriac, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians in Syria and Iraq
- The genocide of Christians in Nigeria
- The threat to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
- The threat of Hezbollah to Christians in Lebanon
The press conference will feature a coalition of experts and advocates, including:
- Congressman Frank Wolf: Former Member of Congress (1981 – 2015)
- Enes Kanter Freedom: Former NBA star and outspoken human rights advocate
- Gia Chacon: Founder of For the Martyrs
- Richard Ghazal: Executive Director at In Defense of Christians
- Dr. Gregory Stanton: Founder and President of Genocide Watch
- Endy Zemenides: Executive Director at the Hellenic American Leadership Council
- Steve Oshana: Executive Director at A Demand for Action
- Sara Salama: Founder and President of Coptic Voice and Associate General Counsel at Human Rights Watch
- Betty Tekeste: American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee
- Steven Howard: Director of Policy and Outreach at American Task Force on Lebanon
The press conference will occur on the sidelines of the 2023 March for the Martyrs and Capitol Hill Advocacy Day, September 29-30 in Washington, DC.
- September 29: Capitol Hill Advocacy Day – Advocates from across the country will join IDC in advocating on Capitol Hill for policy solutions to address Christian suffering around the globe
- September 30: March for the Martyrs – Attendees will march through Washington, DC in solidarity with the persecuted, leading prayer at national landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the White House.
Members of the press are invited to attend the joint press conference on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 4:00 pm (ET) at IDC headquarters (1023 15th Street NW, Washington, DC) and live streamed on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
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