House Church Leaders Once Pardoned, Re-Arrested in Iran
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Two Christians in their 60s, who were “pardoned” and released after serving a combined six years in prison for leading house churches in Iran, have been re-arrested, a non-profit organization advocating for persecuted Christians reported.
Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh and Joseph Shahbazian were re-arrested at their homes in the Tehran region by intelligence agents on the morning of February 6, Article18 reported.
They were taken back to the notorious Evin Prison in the city.
Nasser is reportedly on a hunger strike to protest his unlawful re-arrest. Article18 sources also reported that several other Tehran Christians were arrested at the same time and remain in custody.
Joseph, an Iranian-Armenian, and Nasser, a Christian convert, were re-arrested and remain prominent examples of targeted Christian detentions in Iran. Both received 10-year sentences for “actions against national security” due to their involvement in house churches, underscoring the ongoing risks for such groups.
Despite centuries of persecution, the number of Iranian Christians has surged over the last 20 years, surpassing the growth seen in the previous 13 centuries since Islam arrived in Iran. From an estimated 500 in 1979, today, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of Iranians are embracing Christianity and acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In 2023, George Whitten, the founder of Worthy News, interviewed a leading house church pastor in Iran, inquiring about the rapid growth of the revival there. The pastor explained, “We do not baptize anyone unless they are willing to post their baptism on YouTube,” highlighting their commitment by adding, “We are all in for the gospel’s sake.”
In 2023, a senior Iranian cleric revealed that about 50,000 of Iran’s 75,000 mosques are closed, highlighting the rapid growth of Christianity and disillusionment with “the regime’s use of Islam to justify its authoritarian rule.”
In 2025, Open Doors lists Iran as the ninth worst country for Christian persecution, highlighting the severe risks and ongoing challenges Christians face there due to the Iranian regime’s control of the country.
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