Detained Iran Pastor Briefly Home For Easter
A detained pastor of Iran’s largest evangelical network of house churches spent Easter Sunday with his family but was due to return to prison Monday, Worthy News learned.
Christian Persecution – Middle East
Palestinian court releases evangelical pastor
A Palestinian court has released evangelical pastor Johnny Shahwan, who spent 40 days in jail for allegedly meeting with Israeli rabbi and politician Yehuda Glick, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Iran: Imprisoned pastor is granted 5-day home leave
A pastor in Iran who is serving a six-year prison sentence for ‘acting against national security by ‘promoting Zionist Christianity,’ has been granted a five-day furlough to be with his family, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Yousef Nadarkhani was released from Evin prison on 13 April, for reasons that are not clear.
Iraq: Young Christian woman murdered by suspected Muslim relatives
A 20-year old woman who converted from Islam to Christianity in northern Iraq was murdered on March 7, in what appears to be an honor killing by Muslim relatives, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. The daughter of a Muslim cleric, Iman Sami was found murdered after she posted a Tik Tok video of herself singing Christian songs.
Iran: Believers to begin prison sentences for “spreading Christian Zionism”
Three Christians convicted of spreading “Zionist Christianity” in Iran have been ordered to begin serving their prison sentences of between two and five years at the end of this month, Christian Persecution reports.
Syria: City of Idlib has lost most of its Christian population
The governorate of Idlib in Syria has been almost entirely emptied of its substantial Christian community in the wake of 10 years of catastrophic civil war, Christian Persecution (CP) reports. Unofficial statistics state that around 200 Christians have managed to cling on to the city, but some 10,000 have now left.
’Iran Christian Converts Face Islamic Lessons’ Prompting Prayers
Advocates defending Christian converts in Iran appealed for prayers Wednesday as authorities forced ex-Muslims to attend Islamic classes and abandon their faith in Christ.
Iran: Christians forced to have lessons with clerics to return to Islam
Iranian government authorities have ordered a group of ten Christian converts to undergo compulsory lessons with Muslim clerics who will try to make them see they were “misled” into the wrong faith and lead them back to Islam, Christian Persecution (CP) report.
Iran To Review Jail Sentences Of Christians
Iranian Christians say they “are thankful” that Christian convert Naser Navard Goltapeh’s jail the sentence “will be reviewed” by Iran’s Supreme Court after years of prayers and campaigns, Worthy News learned Monday.
Iran continues to persecute Christians, new report shows
A new report on the persecution of Christians in Iran has called on Tehran to end the criminalization of house churches and membership, and for the international community to hold the Islamic regime to account for ongoing human rights abuses against believers, Christian Today (CT) reports.
US Christian ministries reach out to help vulnerable children in Iran
US Christian ministry Heart4Iran has joined with CBN’s Superbook to conduct an outreach to thousands of desperately vulnerable children in Iran, CBN News reports. Many of these children are from families of Afghan refugees who escaped the Taliban, and many are orphans who lost their parents to COVID-19.
Report: Iran Detained Dozens Of Christians In 2021
At least scores of Christians were arrested, and dozens endured prison in Iran last year, but many cases go unreported, faith rights groups said Wednesday.
Iran Releasing Jailed Converts, But Exiles One
Iran has released two Christian converts who served a one-year prison sentence linked to their membership of a house church, but one of them still faces two years’ internal exile, Christians told Worthy News.
Iran: Pastor sent back to prison for six years following Supreme Court review of charges
A pastor in Iran who was released from prison while the Iranian Supreme Court reviewed his conviction for “endangering state security” and “promoting Zionism” has been taken back to prison to serve a six-year sentence, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Iran Frees Nine Christian Converts
Iran released nine Christian converts from prison, including a pastor, after the Islamic nation’s Supreme Court said their involvement in house churches doesn’t threaten national security, well-informed Christians told Worthy News Tuesday.
Iran Grants New Year’s Leave To Jailed Convert And Other Christian Prisoners
Iranian authorities have temporarily released another jailed Christian convert after an order to free Christian prisoners for Christmas and the New Year, Worthy News learned Wednesday.
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.
Iranian judiciary grants Christian prisoners 10 days’ holiday
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.
Syria: Christians rebuild church decimated by ISIS
Christians have helped to rebuild a church in the Syrian city of Raqqa that was destroyed during the 2014-2017 Islamic State reign of terror there, CBN reports. The Raqqa church was rededicated following an effort led by the Free Burma Rangers aid agency and the Grace Community Church in Fulton, Maryland.
Iran Orders Review Of Jailing Christians
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.