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Photos show Christians celebrating Easter around the world

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Photos show Christians celebrating Easter around the world
News

News

Photos show Christians celebrating Easter around the world

2026-04-06 10:34 Last Updated At:10:40

Christians around the world celebrated on Sunday the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most important holiday in the Christian liturgical calendar.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Sepuh Sargsyan, archbishop and prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Tehran, blesses a child after Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Sepuh Sargsyan, archbishop and prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Tehran, blesses a child after Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Worshippers carry a figure of Jesus Christ during an Easter procession through Panama City's old town, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Worshippers carry a figure of Jesus Christ during an Easter procession through Panama City's old town, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Young women in folk costumes sing during the Easter folk festival in the village of Holloko, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in northeastern Hungary, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

Young women in folk costumes sing during the Easter folk festival in the village of Holloko, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in northeastern Hungary, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

People attend a traditional Easter fire, a traditional bonfire lit symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, on a mine dump of the last German coal mine, in Bottrop, Germany, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

People attend a traditional Easter fire, a traditional bonfire lit symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, on a mine dump of the last German coal mine, in Bottrop, Germany, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Ignacio Idalsoaga, head of the Buinzoo in Santiago, Chile, feeds ring-tailed lemurs Easter egg-themed treats, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Ignacio Idalsoaga, head of the Buinzoo in Santiago, Chile, feeds ring-tailed lemurs Easter egg-themed treats, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Tommi May wears a costume of balloons as they participate in the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Tommi May wears a costume of balloons as they participate in the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A chihuahua dog named Bianca wears a hat during the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A chihuahua dog named Bianca wears a hat during the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the end of Easter Mass he presided over in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the end of Easter Mass he presided over in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Worshippers who will receive the sacrament of baptism gather in a room ahead of the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Worshippers who will receive the sacrament of baptism gather in a room ahead of the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A woman leans on a wall during Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman leans on a wall during Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Christian worshippers attend an Easter mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Christian worshippers attend an Easter mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Worshippers attend Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Worshippers attend Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne baptizes a candidate during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne baptizes a candidate during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Indian Christian devotees offer prayers at a church on Easter Sunday in Jammu, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026.(AP Photo/Channi Anand)

Indian Christian devotees offer prayers at a church on Easter Sunday in Jammu, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026.(AP Photo/Channi Anand)

Neophytes get dressed in their new white robes after being baptized at an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Neophytes get dressed in their new white robes after being baptized at an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Sepuh Sargsyan, archbishop and prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Tehran, blesses a child after Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Sepuh Sargsyan, archbishop and prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Tehran, blesses a child after Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Worshippers carry a figure of Jesus Christ during an Easter procession through Panama City's old town, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Worshippers carry a figure of Jesus Christ during an Easter procession through Panama City's old town, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Young women in folk costumes sing during the Easter folk festival in the village of Holloko, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in northeastern Hungary, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

Young women in folk costumes sing during the Easter folk festival in the village of Holloko, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in northeastern Hungary, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)

People attend a traditional Easter fire, a traditional bonfire lit symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, on a mine dump of the last German coal mine, in Bottrop, Germany, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

People attend a traditional Easter fire, a traditional bonfire lit symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, on a mine dump of the last German coal mine, in Bottrop, Germany, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Ignacio Idalsoaga, head of the Buinzoo in Santiago, Chile, feeds ring-tailed lemurs Easter egg-themed treats, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Ignacio Idalsoaga, head of the Buinzoo in Santiago, Chile, feeds ring-tailed lemurs Easter egg-themed treats, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Tommi May wears a costume of balloons as they participate in the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Tommi May wears a costume of balloons as they participate in the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A chihuahua dog named Bianca wears a hat during the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A chihuahua dog named Bianca wears a hat during the Easter Bonnet Parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the end of Easter Mass he presided over in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the end of Easter Mass he presided over in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A young worshipper rests on a bench outside the nave of the cathedral during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Worshippers who will receive the sacrament of baptism gather in a room ahead of the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Worshippers who will receive the sacrament of baptism gather in a room ahead of the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Worshippers hold candles during the Easter vigil Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Vilnius, Lithuania, late Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A woman leans on a wall during Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman leans on a wall during Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Christian worshippers attend an Easter mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Christian worshippers attend an Easter mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Worshippers attend Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Worshippers attend Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne baptizes a candidate during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne baptizes a candidate during an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Indian Christian devotees offer prayers at a church on Easter Sunday in Jammu, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026.(AP Photo/Channi Anand)

Indian Christian devotees offer prayers at a church on Easter Sunday in Jammu, India, Sunday, April 5, 2026.(AP Photo/Channi Anand)

Neophytes get dressed in their new white robes after being baptized at an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Neophytes get dressed in their new white robes after being baptized at an Easter vigil at St. James Cathedral, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

People raise their hands to the sky in song during an Easter Sunday sunrise prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An imprisoned Belarusian journalist has fallen seriously ill, relatives say, and his family and media rights advocates urged authorities on Friday to quickly release him from custody to save his life.

Kiryl Pazniak, 49, has been in custody since his arrest in September on extremism charges, accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices. Pazniak, who hosted a popular show on YouTube, faces a prison sentence of up to seven years if convicted.

Pazniak's 20-year-old daughter also has been arrested on extremism charges. Both have been named political prisoners by human rights defenders.

Pazniak's ex-wife Elena said that he was suffering from pneumonia and COVID-19, and was placed earlier this month in a prison hospital in grave condition. She argued that he hadn't been given proper medical treatment and his life was in jeopardy.

Belarusian authorities didn’t immediately comment on Pazniak’s condition or accusations that he wasn’t being provided with adequate medical care.

“Freedom of speech in Belarus has a specific price, and today 21 journalists behind bars, including Pazniak, are paying for it with their health and ruined lives,” said Andrei Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. “Belarus has already become a black hole of Europe and leads the continent in the number of arrested journalists.”

Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has governed the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been sanctioned repeatedly by Western nations — both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Lukashenko's government was challenged after a 2020 presidential election, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest a vote they viewed as rigged. In an ensuing crackdown, tens of thousands were detained, with many beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures fled the country or were imprisoned.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of American-brokered deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of the isolated leader’s efforts to improve ties with the West.

Human rights groups say, however, that Belarusian authorities have continued their crackdown on dissent. Belarus still has 841 political prisoners, according to the Viasna human rights center.

In this photo, released by Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, center, speaks to officers as he attends joint nuclear drills held by Russian and Belarusian armed forces in Asipovichy district of Belarus, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP)

In this photo, released by Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, center, speaks to officers as he attends joint nuclear drills held by Russian and Belarusian armed forces in Asipovichy district of Belarus, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP)

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