The persecution of Christians across the world continues to increase, according to the publication of the 2016 World Watch List. The CEO of Open Doors said that persecution levels have risen rapidly; every year over 100 million Christians are persecuted because of their beliefs. The most notable increases are in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Eritrea. Open Doors has urged the Government to do everything possible within their spheres of influence to affect this situation. David Cameron said standing up for religious freedom is a priority for his government. ‘We are committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief as one of the foundations of human rights. No matter what faith we follow, charity, compassion, responsibility and forgiveness are values which speak to us all.’