Christianity is banned in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Saudi Arabia has refused a U.S. appeal to release more than a dozen Christians accused of practicing their faith .
Nigeria, Indonesia and Sudan lead the world in actual death tolls of Christians, according to the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House
-- and the number of Christians and animists who have perished in Sudan is estimated at 2 million
2. The U.S. State Department rates Afghanistan among the worst religious freedom violator -- along with Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, where leaving Islam for another religion is a capital offense.