International Christian Concern (ICC) has revealed the three worst persecutors of Christians in a new report.
As part of their "Persecutor of the Year Awards" they noted Afghanistan, Fulani Militants and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be the worst persecutors.
The 150 page document lists the world's top 16 persecutors of Christians over the last year.
The report was delivered at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington D.C.
Jeff King, president of ICC said: "Across the globe, Christians are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered simply because of what they believe in.
"I've been doing this for 20 years and it's not getting better but getting worse.
"Religious freedom is often a very complicated subject. "This annual report is a primer for our allies to understand it and see it."
The Taliban assumed control of the government last year, declaring a new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
By the end of 2021, the Taliban employed harsh tactics to expose the country's Christians.
This then brought persecution in Afghanistan to its highest levels since the Taliban's first government.
The second-worst persecutors are the Fulani Militants, who represent the largest nomadic ethnic group in Nigeria.
Since 2000, the Fulani militants in Nigeria have killed tens of thousands of Christians and left many more homeless.
Having seen increasing violence against Nigeria's Christian population in the Middle Belt, it is alleged that the Fulani militant aggression is aided by stakeholders within the Nigerian government.
The third-worst persecutor is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; the Grand Ayatollah of Iran serves as the country's Supreme Leader, an honorific title for his clerical role in Shia Islam.
As the leader of Iran, Khamenei exerts control over every aspect of Iranian life, both physically and spiritually.
As an Islamic republic, Iran poses severe limits on the ability of Christians to practice their religion, enforcing a hardline regime that allows the brutal torture and execution of many Iranian Christians.