Iranian-American Pastor Imprisoned in Iran
In Iran, an Iranian-born American pastor with dual citizenship remains behind bars in Evin prison for the holidays.
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Iran Returns Pastor Nadarkhani To Prison
Iranian 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
Iranian 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.
Fatwa threatens Iraqi Christians
A Muslim cleric has issued a fatwa threatening Iraqi Christians unless they convert to Islam, but the country’s prime minister urged them to stay.
Kazakhstan: Unregistered Churches, Mosques Forced to Close
Churches and mosques in Kazakhstan are being forced to close as that nation’s deadline for mandatory re-registration expires, but many religious communities have complained that the procedures for their closures were both arbitrary and flawed.
Syrian Christians Face Starvation, Deadly Attacks
Minority Christians in Syria’s largest city Aleppo said they face starvation after dozens of believers already died in targeted attacks rocking Christian areas of the war-torn country.
Detained Uzbek Pastor Freed, Flown To Safety
A Protestant pastor who faced deportation from Kazakhstan to his native Uzbekistan and up to 15 years imprisonment for leading an unregistered house church has been flown to safety, his supporters confirmed.
Belarus Not To Evict Massive Evangelical Church
One of the largest evangelical congregations in Belarus confirmed that authorities at the last moment decided not to evict them from their building, following years of judicial wrangling.
Public Meeting Prayer Battles Wage Nationwide
Before many towns meetings begin, local lawmakers often lead a short prayer prior to the start of official business, but some citizens are taking issue with those prayers: at least five lawsuits nationwide, from Florida to California, are currently challenging pre-meeting prayers.
Church fire under investigation in Turkmenistan
Some churches in Turkmenistan have literally come under fire after the Baptist House of Prayer in Turkmenbashi was recently razed, according to Slavic Gospel Association spokesman Joel Griffith.
Pastor, Church Ministers Sentenced to Total of Four Years
Arrested 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.
Al Shabaab converts Christians into jihadists
The militant Islamist group al Shabaab is targeting converts from Christianity to Islam to wage jihad in Kenya.
Crackdown On Evangelicals In Central Asian States
Authorities in three Central Asian nations have launched a crackdown on evangelical Protestant churches and several believers are reportedly mistreated, fined and detained.
Iran Releasing House Church Mother On Bail; Others Detained
An Iranian court has ordered the temporary release of a jailed devoted house church Christian and mother of two children, after her teenage son suffered a seizure, local Christians following the case.
Uzbek Math: 2 Bibles = 5 years
In Uzbekistan, having more than one Bible can make you a missionary, and being a missionary in Uzbekistan can get you five years in jail.
Iran Church Fears Detained Members Are Tortured
An 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
Massive 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
Although 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.
Pakistan Evangelical Pastor Shot By Militants
An evangelical Pakistani pastor was recovering of his injuries after he was shot by suspected Islamic militants who oppose his Christian activities, an advocacy group said.