Opposite me is Ali, as we call him here for security reasons. He is leading a small team, of which Mission Possible is a part, helping the very few indigenous believers in Libya. The number of known Libyans who have converted from Islam to Christianity is only around 70.
Ali's face is warm but often serious as he talks about the situation in Libya. Muslims who choose to become Christians can pay a very high price for their choice.
One of the people Ali has helped is Dia Balao. We use his real name here as his case is known in Libyan as well as other Arab media.
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"One day Dia met a believer who told him about Jesus. He found it interesting and they began to meet often. Dia had a vision where he met Jesus. In the vision, Jesus said to Dia: 'Follow me'."
"He told me that he started sharing his faith in Jesus with his friends, family and acquaintances in 2017. He spoke loud and clear about Jesus. At the time, he was living in Misrata, about 300 kilometers east of Tripoli."
"Dia's own father contacted the police and asked them to put pressure on Dia to return to Islam. The police put Dia in prison, but in prison he continued to talk about Jesus, even to the guards. So the police told the father to go get his son and he was released."
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"In 2019, the Islamists captured him and put him in prison again. His mother sent some of her friends to him in prison who brought him the message that if he did not return to Islam, he would no longer be her son. His response was: 'I have seen Jesus and will never deny Him.
Dia's mother sent some of her friends to him in prison who brought him the message that if he did not return to Islam, he would no longer be her son. His response was: 'I have seen Jesus and will never deny Him'.
"In 2021, Dia's mother died. His father said that Dia had killed his mother because she was so upset that Dia had become a Christian. Dia's father told him: 'You are not my son'. His father told the Salafists that they could therefore do whatever they wanted."
"Dia was brought before a court in Misrata and on September 4, 2022, he was sentenced to death for apostasy from Islam. The death sentence has not yet been carried out."
Ali concludes by saying that despite the uncertainty of his future, Dia is in good spirits.
Dia Balao's case is largely unreported in Western media, but several Arab media outlets have covered it, including BBC Arabic.
Please pray for Dia and other imprisoned believers in Libya. According to the Guardian newspaper, at least five Christians are currently imprisoned for their faith in the country.
