Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, according to a Holy See report to the United Nations. [OHCHR] Human rights groups have urged Iran and Egypt to protect Christians facing religious persecution, including by halting the planned execution of Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani sentenced to death for the crime of apostasy, and by investigating the deaths of 17 or more Coptic Christian demonstrators killed by military vehicles in Cairo earlier this month. [MotorGospel Ministries; Human Rights House of Iran; HRW; Huffington Post] In Vietnam, a crackdown on religious activists – primarily against Catholic Redemptorists – has resulted in the detention of 15 people. [HRW] In Pakistan, the targeted killings of Shia Muslims by Sunni extremist groups have also drawn international criticism. [HRW]