Iran Frees Christian House Church Pastor
Iran released a pastor from prison Thursday after the Iranian Supreme Court ruled that involvement in house churches “should not be considered a crime against national security,” Worthy News learned.
Iran released a pastor from prison Thursday after the Iranian Supreme Court ruled that involvement in house churches “should not be considered a crime against national security,” Worthy News learned.
Christian prisoners in Iran were treated to a rare act of mercy by the state as the country’s judiciary granted them 10 days’ leave to be with their families during the Christmas holidays, Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports.
A top Iranian court has ordered a review of five-year prison terms given to nine Christian converts who left Islam, according to sources familiar with the court’s thinking.
Following unsuccessful appeals, on November 11 two Christian converts from Islam were summoned to prison in Iran to serve one-year sentences they received in February for “promoting Christianity,” Christian Persecution reports.
A pastor from Iran’s main evangelical house church movement was behind bars Friday after he was summoned to start serving a five-year jail sentence, his supporters confirmed.
Three Iranian men who abandoned Islam to embrace faith in Christ were summoned by Iranian authorities to serve three-year jail sentences, Christians told Worthy News.
Two jailed Iranian Christians have asked Iran’s Islamic authorities to allow them to worship Christ in freedom.
An Iranian Christian who went missing for nearly a month after his detention by Iranian authorities has been released and found, Worthy News learned Wednesday.
Iranian Christians are “thankful” that Iran has released two jailed Christians on bail but remain concerned about the whereabouts of their friend, Worthy News established Wednesday.
Another three Christian men from a heavily persecuted believing community in Iran were arrested by Iranian intelligence authorities on September 5 and taken to an unknown location for interrogation, International Christian Concern reports.
A court in Iran has reduced the five-year prison sentences of three Iranian Christians who were appealing against their convictions for engaging in anti-Islamic propaganda, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Amin Khaki, Milad Goudarzi, and Alireza Nourmohammadi each saw their prison sentence reduced to three years, although their overall appeal was denied.
Christians in Iran meeting mostly in secret house groups to avoid detection by police face new challenges as the Islamic government seeks more internet restrictions, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Iran’s judiciary has granted itself powers that will likely make life substantially more harsh for Christian converts who are already persecuted in this predominantly Islamic country, International Christian Concern reports.
A former Muslim who embraced faith in Christ has been ordered to begin a ten-month prison sentence for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” Worthy News learned Wednesday.
Three former Muslims in Iran are the first Christians to be given prison sentences under Article 500, a new amendment to Iran’s penal code that aims to block the spread of the Gospel in the country, Morning Star News reports. Iran ranks 8 on the US Open Doors Watch List of countries that persecute Christians.
An Iranian court has sentenced three Christians from the evangelical Church of Iran denomination to five years imprisonment each for “engaging in propaganda against the Islamic regime,” trial observers say.
As Iran continues a relentless campaign of persecution against Iranian believers, on June 26 the Revolutionary Court in Karaj, northern Iran sentenced three Christians to five years in jail for “engaging in propaganda against the Islamic regime,” Christians Worldwide Solidarity reports.
Iranian Christians have urged prayers for a Christian convert after an appeals court upheld his 10-month prison sentence for “propaganda against the regime,” Worthy News learned.
Christians said Thursday they fear that the election of Ebrahim Raisi as Iran’s president will lead to more persecution of religious minorities.
Iran is persecuting Christians in the country by wielding against them a new law that severely punishes “any deviant education that contradicts sacred Islamic shari’a,” Christian Today reports.