Tags

Prison

• Man Charged with Blasphemy

  

  A Christian man was beaten and charged with blasphemy on August 5th, following comments made on his Facebook account about the Islamic celebration of Lailat al Miraj. The celebration involves eating sacrificial meat. In response, Sohail Masih allegedly posted: "It is not possible that the blood of goats and bulls can wash away sins. The incident of Miraj is based on a lie." The post came to the attention of a mosque leader, who claimed that "Muslims were extremely hurt" by the comment.

• Pastor Finally Released on Bail

  

  Pastor Keshav Raj Acharya was finally released on bail in late June after spending three months in prison. Sources state that the bail amount was exorbitant, considering the charges against him.

  Pastor Keshav was first arrested on March 23rd, after a video was uploaded to YouTube in which he allegedly stated that God could heal COVID-19 through prayer. Despite denying that he uploaded the video, Pastor Keshav was arrested after being asked to pray for a woman who had contracted the virus. He was then charged with spreading false information and misleading his followers.

• Thirty Christians Arrested at Wedding

  

  Eritrean authorities continued their ongoing crackdown on unregistered religious groups when 30 guests were arrested at a wedding ceremony in late June. These Christians were arrested in the capital city of Asmara, joining 15 others who had been previously arrested in April and sent to a prison camp.

• Appeal Decisions for Ismaeil Maghrebinejad

  

  In January 2019, Ismaeil Maghrebinejad, 65, was arrested and has since faced multiple charges and convictions, which he has appealed. Originally convicted of "membership of a group hostile to the regime" and "insulting Islamic sacred beliefs," he was further convicted of "propaganda against the state" in May 2020 (read more).

• Seven Iranians Sentenced

  

  Seven Iranian Christian converts were sentenced on June 21st for "spreading propaganda against the state." The evidence used against them included possession of Christian books and symbols, holding home church meetings, and being in contact with Iranian "evangelists" abroad. All seven intend to appeal their sentences.

• Twelve Arrested in Coordinated Raids

  

  At least twelve Christians have been arrested by intelligence agents in a coordinated operation on June 30th and July 1st. Besides the arrests, dozens of others were ordered to provide contact details and told they would be summoned for further questioning.

• Wife of Imprisoned Elder Begs for Prayer

  

  In December 2018, raids on the Early Rain Covenant Church resulted in the detention of more than 100 Christians. All have since been released except for Pastor Wang Yi, who is serving a nine-year sentence, and elder Qin Defu, who was sentenced to four years in prison for "illegal business operations." For previous written reports on Qin's case and the difficulties faced by other members of Early Rain Covenant Church, go to this page.

• Girl Facing Charges After Resisting Attack

  

  To date, Nang Tookta Phetsomphone has spent almost six months in a Laotian prison after her former employer was stabbed and killed during his attempt to rape the young woman. In order to be released from custody, her family must pay a fine of $11,000 USD and renounce their faith in Christ. Since our previously posted "Persecution & Prayer Alert" report, VOMC's Greg Musselman has spoken with Patrick Klein from Vision Beyond Borders about Tookta's terrible plight. This interview is available here.

• Appeal Hearing Postponed Indefinitely

  

  The appeal hearing for Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz and his wife, along with three other Christians, had been scheduled for June 1st but was cancelled with no new court date set. No reason was given for the delay, and the lawyers involved with this case were not allowed to approach the judge. Pastor Victor and the others each face sentences of at least ten years in prison. (Review the previously posted report.)

• Sentence Extended on Retrial

  

  When the judge requested a retrial for Ismaeil Maghrebinejad, there were hopes that justice would prevail. Ismaeil had received a two-year prison sentence on February 27th for his alleged "membership of a group hostile to the regime" (read more). This sentence was in addition to a previous decision that was made on January 8th, when he was sentenced to three years for "insulting Islamic sacred beliefs."