Iran Detains Pastor As Church Faces Closure In Wider Crackdown

A pastor of the Central Assemblies of God (AoG) Church in Tehran was detained Tuesday, May 21, as part of Iran’s wider crackdown on evangelical believers, Christian rights activists confirmed. The arrest of Reverend Robert Asserian came as his church prepared for possible closure by the end of June due to pressure from the feared Iranian Intelligence Ministry, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

Report: Iran criminalizes Christian faith

A new report by the International Campaign for Human Rights shows that many Christian customs in Iran are criminalized by the authorities, according to Barnabas Aid.

Pastor told to deny Christ, or stay in prison

An American pastor sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison for planting house churches in the Islamic Republic a decade ago recently wrote that prison officials have told him to either deny Christ, or remain incarcerated indefinitely, according to the Christian News Network.

Iran Jails Two Christian Converts As Part Of Crackdown

Two Christian converts are already over 50 days in Tehran’s feared Evin prison as part of a crackdown on spreading Christianity in heavily Islamic Iran and it remains unclear when they will be released, Worthy News learned.

Iran sentences American Pastor to eight years

iran mapAn American pastor already imprisoned in Iran for evangelizing was sentenced Sunday to eight years in prison for attempting to entice Iran’s youth away from Islam through his network of underground house churches.

Wife Jailed Iranian-US Pastor Denies Bail Claims

prison-christian-5-shiraz-iranThe wife of a jailed Iranian-American pastor has denied Iran’s claims that her husband will be released on bail as an attempt to “silence the international media.”

Iran Pastor Nadarkhani Freed From Jail; Others Remain Detained

pastor youcef in iranIran on Monday, January 7, released Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was jailed on Christmas Day to serve the remainder of a sentence for evangelism among Muslims, his evangelical house church movement confirmed.

Iran Returns Pastor Nadarkhani To Prison

pastor youcef in iranIranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was recently acquitted of apostasy, has been returned to prison on an earlier charge, rights activists told Worthy News.

Iran Churches Warn Of Christmas Raids, Detentions

iran-christianIranian Church leaders have urged prayers for Christians in Iran amid concerns authorities will raid more house churches and detain believers over the Christmas and Western New Year period.

Pastor, Church Ministers Sentenced to Total of Four Years

iran mapArrested just before last Christmas, four Christian converts recently received a total of four years in prison at the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz according to Christian news agency, Mohabat News.

Iran Church Fears Detained Members Are Tortured

iran mapAn official of one of Iran’s largest house church movement says recently detained church members are tortured and otherwise pressured to confess to crimes they did not commit.

Iran Launching Massive Arrests Of Evangelicals

iran-christianMassive arrests of evangelical Protestant Christians, including many former Muslims, are reported in Iran, with men and women being dragged to prisons across the Islamic nation.

Security agents scare parishioners from churches

iran flagAlthough Halloween isn’t celebrated in an Islamic Republic, state security agents have been scaring away potential parishioners from both St. Luke’s and St. Paul’s churches in Esfahan to prevent Iranians from following Christianity.

‘Iran To Prosecute Detained Christian Converts’

Five Christian converts will be tried in southwestern Iran on charges linked to their Christian activities, after spending eight months in prison, an Iranian Christian news agency reported.

Worthy Christian News