Last week, Open Doors UK & Ireland hosted a well-attended parliamentary event to mark the launch of the 2026 World Watch List, with a strong turnout from MPs across parties. It was encouraging to see so many parliamentarians present, demonstrating clear concern for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and a willingness to stand up for those facing persecution worldwide.

During the event, Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, asked what comes next. The clear message from the room was that parliamentarians must continue to be a strong and consistent voice in Parliament for those who need it most. The level of engagement and care shown by MPs reflected this commitment.

A particularly powerful element of the event was hearing directly from individuals with lived experience of FoRB violations, as well as updates on situations discussed at previous briefings. The programme featured two interviews hosted by journalist Nitya Rajan. The first was with Bahar* from Iran, who movingly described how her father was imprisoned twice during her childhood, first for two months and later for a year, simply because of his faith. Her testimony was both enlightening and deeply affecting.

The event underlined the vital role Open Doors plays in bringing credible evidence, personal testimony and timely analysis into Parliament. We were pleased to support Open Doors as a key stakeholder and welcome the success of the event, which reinforced the importance of sustained parliamentary advocacy for freedom of religion or belief.

You can read the full report here: World Watch List Top 50 (2026) – Open Doors UK & Ireland

*Name changed for security reasons.