At least seven Christians are in jail after Laotian officials raided the home where they were having worship.

The Christians were meeting for lunch and worship at the home of Pastor Sompong Supatto when the chief of Boukham Village and security officials stormed the building.  The pastor was placed in handcuffs and leg stocks.

They were charged with violating an order from local officials for Christians to stop gathering for worship.

The Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom confirmed the arrest and said the local authorities simply said they don’t want Christians to gather for worship.

“The HRWLRF urges the Lao government to respect the right of the Lao people to religious freedom and the accompanying rights as guaranteed in the Lao constitution and the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Laos in 2009, upholding the individual’s right to adopt a religion/belief of choice as well as the right to manifest that religion/belief in a corporate worship (Article 18),” a HRWLRF spokesman wrote. “Any form of coercion impairing the freedom to have and manifest one’s religion/belief of choice is condemned in the Covenant.”

This is the latest in a series of attacks on Christian freedom in the village.  On June 24, a pastor and four others were arrested on murder charges after a sick woman they prayed over later died.