"T.I.” (whose name is protected for privacy) was apparently abducted against his will. He had three cell phones, an unusually high number for a college student, even in technology-rich Japan. One was for everyday use, one was a back-up phone, and one’s specific purpose was its GPS locator. T.I. knew about cases involving parents kidnapping their adult child to reverse their decision to join the Unification Church. He was prepared for this possibility.

A senior in the College of Science and Engineering at Kanazawa University, 21-year-old T.I. is an adult under Japanese law, which guarantees his right to religious freedom, including the right to adopt a religion which is different from one’s family of origin. T.I. joined the Unification Church’s Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) in April, 2011. He then moved into a CARP dormitory that summer.

T.I. informed his family about his affiliation with CARP in June, 2012. His mother reportedly became distraught and asked him to leave the dormitory as soon as possible. His father also opposed to his choice of religion, but did not pressure him about it. While T.I. continued living in the CARP dormitory, he maintained regular communication with his family and informed them that he had received a solid job offer from a non-church company to employ him after his graduation.

Unification Church member Mr. S. lives in the same neighborhood as T.I.’s family. When T.I. visited home last New Year’s Day, he asked Mr. S. for help in case T.I.’s parents were to kidnap him.

Human rights activists are growing increasingly concerned about religious persecution in Egypt. A new President assumed power in June 2012. However, religious violence continues, and in some cases has escalated, since. Censorship is also still at large.

Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II gave an “unprecedented condemnation” of the Islamist president on April 9 after two people were killed exiting a funeral service at Coptic St Mark Cathedral. Four Coptic Christians were being remembered at the service, the National Review reported. The four Copts were killed during a clash between Muslims in northern Cairo.

Coptic Christians make up the majority of Christians in Egypt and are an estimated 10 percent of the Egyptian population. Although Christianity is noted as one of the “divine religions” in Egypt’s penal code, Coptic Christians receive the most persecution of any religious group.

A mob of 200 Muslims “hurled fire bombs, live ammunition, tear gas, and rocks” at the Copts as the exited the evening funeral service, the National Review reported. Dozens of Copts were wounded. One Muslim died after “reportedly falling from a ladder, which he had climbed in order to destroy the Cathedral’s security camera.”