Iranian Christians Mahmood Matin-Azad and Arash Basirat, who were acquitted on charges of apostasy on September 25 (click here), have learned that their release was based on the false claim that they denied their Christian faith in court. According to an October 30 report from Compass Direct, the court claims that the men denied converting to Christianity from Islam. However, both men vehemently maintain that they openly professed their Christian faith throughout the trial.
Although they have been exonerated of the charges, they fear they will be re-arrested once they resume their Christian activity or that believers who associate with them will also face pressure. Some believe that they were released to appease international pressure and that they might be punished outside of the law.
By funding television broadcasts, VOMC is making it possible for a vast audience of viewers to be reached throughout Iran with the "Good News" of Jesus' love via satellite.
Ethnicity Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes
Religion (%) Islam (98.5), Christian (0.7), Baha'i (0.3), agnostic (0.3), other (0.2)
Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei (1989)
Government type Theocratic republic
Legal system Religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Iran
As the Gospel message goes forth over the airwaves, may the growth of the church continue to multiply despite persecution. Pray that the Iranian government will be open to change, allowing full rights and protection for its non-Muslim citizens as well. In the meantime, may those who are forced to flee the country find safe refuge and help so they can live in peace and worship the Lord with freedom.
Laleh Saati is a Christian convert and former asylum-seeker who was incarcerated in February 2024 and sentenced to two years in prison. (For more information on the imprisonment of this 46-year-old Iranian follower of Jesus, visit this page.) Throughout Laleh's time in custody, concerns have been raised about her physical health and psychological well-being. Most recently, it was reported that the Christian woman was denied needed medical treatment for a hand injury that had occurred as a result of a fall.
Hakop Gochumyan and his wife Elisa are citizens of Armenia who were visiting Iran in August 2023. While this Christian couple were having dinner with friends, government agents raided the gathering, resulting in their arrest. Eventually, Elisa was released on bail and permitted to return to Armenia with their children. However, Hakop was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for allegedly "engaging in deviant proselytizing activity." For more details, see our previously posted report.
In 2022, Pastor Joseph Shahbazian was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for his Christian ministry work in Iran. After an appeal, he was released a year later. For unknown reasons, however, he was suddenly rearrested on February 6th of this year, and now reportedly faces numerous charges. For more details, see this report.
Left to right: Abbas Soori, Narges Nasri, and Mehran Shamloui. Photos: Article 18
On March 8th, three Christian converts in Iran, including a woman pregnant with her first child, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for participating in activities relating to their religious beliefs. (More details about the charges against these believers are available at VOMC's previously published report.)