Believers Sentenced to Additional Five-Year Prison Terms

Photo: Mohabat News

Two Christian men, Ebrahim Firouzi and Sevada Aghasar, were recently sentenced to prison because of their Christian faith. The two were charged with "action against national security through collusion and gathering."

Ebrahim, a Christian convert from Islam, who is already serving another sentence in Rajaei-Shahr Prison, was handed an additional five-year prison term. Ebrahim was previously arrested in August of 2013. Prior to that, he had been convicted of several charges -- including propaganda against the Islamic regime, evangelism, contact with anti-Islamic agents abroad, and founding a Christian website, for which he was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of exile. (For a previous prayer alert report on Ebrahim, please visit our website.)

Sevada, an Iranian-Armenian Christian who is presently free on bail, was sentenced to five years in prison. The Christian was temporarily released in March of 2014 after enduring six months in Evin Prison. Should the appeal court approve his sentence, Sevada will be returned to prison to serve this new jail term. (You can read more here about his arrest and release.)

Pray that the church in Iran will continue to grow despite the harsh consequences many Christians face for loving and following Jesus. Specifically, may the Lord use His faithful servants, Ebrahim and Sevada, to draw many into relationship with Him, especially the prison guards and other authorities involved in their cases. Please also pray that God will make a way for these men to be released from prison very soon and that He will keep them from harm.

  • Current Ministry Fund

    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.

    Project Fund: Underground Church

  • Country Information

    Designation
    Persecuted

    Population
    87,590,873 (2023 est.)

    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.

Iran News

  • Armenian Christian Faces Ten-Year Sentence
    Hakop Gochumyan
    Hakop Gochumyan
    Photo: Article18

    Hakop Gochumyan and his wife Elisa are citizens of Armenia who went to Iran for vacation in August 2023. While the Christian couple and their two children were having dinner at a friend's house, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided the property. The authorities took the Christian family to the home of Elisa's grandmother, where the believers had been staying, and proceeded to search the residence. During the raid, Christian books and other personal belongings were confiscated. The couple was then taken to Evin Prison where they faced interrogation and intense psychological torture.

  • Esmaeil Narimanpour Sentenced to Prison
    Esmaeil Narimanpour
    Esmaeil Narimanpour
    Photo: Article18

    On Christmas Eve of 2023, Esmaeil Narimanpour was apprehended by security forces. The Iranian follower of Jesus was charged with "acting against national security by communicating with Christian 'Zionist' organizations." As of April 30th, he was released on bail after spending more than four months in detention. For more details relating to his case, see these previously posted reports.