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Iran

• Arrests of Christian Converts During Prayer Meeting

  

  Three Christian converts were arrested while attending a prayer meeting in the Iranian coastal city of Rasht on September 5th. Intelligence agents raided the meeting and took Morteza Mashhoudkari, Ayoub Poor-Rezazade and Ahmad Sarparast for interrogation.

• Presidential Election Brings Concerns

  

  The recent election of Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran has led to concerns for those monitoring religious freedom in the country. The election has been discredited by many since reformers or moderates were banned from running for the position and only half of the country's eligible voters cast a ballot. (There were incidents in which various Iranian citizens tried to cast their votes for this year's June election but, while doing so, encountered attacks.) Experts say that President Raisi has been directly appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei, and is viewed as his intended successor.

• Christians Ordered to Prison

  

  Christian converts Homayoun Zhaveh and his wife Sara Ahmadi were on holidays with friends when they were arrested by Iranian intelligence officials. As a result of their house church activities, Homayoun was sentenced to two years in prison while Sara received a sentence of eight years. At last report, they were awaiting an order to report to prison. More details are available here.

• Christians Detained and Questioned

  

  Four Christian men were detained on April 19th in separate raids throughout Dezful in southwestern Iran. They have been identified as Ismail Narimanpour, Mohammad Ali Torabi, Alireza Vark Shah and Hojjat Lotfi Khalaf.

• Prison Summons Expected Soon

  

  Iranian believers request prayer for Christian converts Homayoun Zhaveh (62) and his wife Sara Ahmadi (42), who are anticipating an order to serve prison sentences because of their house church activities.

• Ebrahim Firouzi Facing Additional Charges

  

  Iranian convert Ebrahim Firouzi has spent years in prison for his faith. After being released from prison in October 2020, he began serving his two-year exile in another part of the country. For further information on Ebrahim's case, go to this report. A more recently produced video interview, in which Dr. Hormoz Shariat references Ebrahim, can be viewed here.

  In early February, Ebrahim released a series of six videos detailing the persecution he was facing while in exile. Even his brother, who is not a Christian, was experiencing harassment because of Ebrahim's faith. As a result of these videos, Ebrahim was charged on February 8th with "propaganda against the Islamic Republic in favour of hostile groups" and moved to Chabahar Prison.

• Mary Mohammadi Faces New Arrest

  

  Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi is a Christian blogger who has openly expressed her concerns over the human rights abuses in Iran. She was previously imprisoned for being a member of a house church. In April 2020, she received a suspended sentence, plus ten lashes for "disturbing public order" (see this report).

• Updates on Christians in Exile

  

  On October 31st of last year, Ebrahim Firouzi was gratefully released from prison. However, the court mandated that his prison term be followed by two years of internal exile, resulting in Ebrahim having to complete his sentence at a location a far distance away from his family.

• Iranian Couple Flees After Appeal is Denied

  

  In July 2017, Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz was sentenced to ten years in prison. Arrested in 2014 during a Christmas celebration, he was convicted of evangelism, illegal house-church activities and "acting against national security" (read more). In June 2017, his wife Shamiram was also arrested and received a sentence of five years.

• 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).