2/18/2025 Libya (International Christian Concern) — Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of 21 Christians who were slain by the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Libya on Feb. 15, 2015, because they refused to deny Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) memorialized the killings in a statement released Saturday.
“The [USCIRF] solemnly commemorates the 10th anniversary of the ruthless abduction and execution in Libya of 21 Christian migrant workers by … [ISIS],” the statement read.
USCIRF Commissioner Vicky Hartzler condemned the actions and brutality of ISIS on that fateful day.
“Today we remember the 21 young men who were brutally murdered by ISIS solely for being Christian,” Hartzler stated. “The U.S. government must continue to be an unrelenting voice against violence that targets religious communities, including Coptic Christians.”
Twenty of the 21 men were Egyptian Coptic Christians working in Libya, and one man was from Ghana. The men were abducted in the months leading up to their deaths and given multiple opportunities to deny Jesus and convert to Islam. They were subjected to torture, sleep deprivation, and beatings, yet none of them denied Christ.
ISIS filmed the killings and released the video online.
In 2024, More Productions created a short film, The 21, to honor and remember the faithfulness of the 21 martyrs. It was shortlisted for a 2025 Academy Award.
Actor Jonathan Roumie was the executive producer of the film. Roumie stated that the men’s actions portray “a shining example for what it means to truly follow Christ to the end.”
Members of ISIS beheaded the men one at a time in hopes that it would stir enough fear in those who were still living that they would deny their Christian faith. Their plan failed, and the men clung to the cross and to Christ.
In a report from Barnabas Aid, “many of the men cried out ‘Ya Rabb Yesua!’ – ‘O Lord Jesus!’” just before their final breath.
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