Recent Converts Arrested

Arrested believers - Photo: Article 18 www.articleeighteen.com
From left: Pooriya, Fatemeh, Maryam, Sam, Khatoon, Sasan, Marjan, and Habib
Photo: Article18

Eight converts to Christianity, including five members of one family, were arrested in the southwestern city of Bushehr on July 1st. The officers, identified as agents from the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS), stormed their homes. Bibles were confiscated, along with literature, any religious symbols, laptops, phones and other personal belongings.

Those arrested were Sam Khosravi, 36, and his wife Maryam Falahi, 35; Sam's brother Sasan, 35, and his wife Marjan Falahi, 33; Sam and Sasan's mother, Khatoon Fatolahzadeh, 61; Pooriya Peyma, 27, and his wife Fatemeh Talebi, 27; and Habib Heydari, 38. According to reports, the officers treated the Christians harshly, even though children were present at the time.

Khatoon was released the same day due to her age; however, according to last reports, the others remain detained with no access to lawyers. They are being held in solitary confinement in the local MOIS office. This is only one of numerous arrests in recent months, many of them unreported for security reasons. For more details on the lives of Christians in Iran, go to our country report.

Please uphold each of these believers as they work through the legal difficulties. May they find the strength to continue trusting in God's sovereignty in their time of need. Pray that the authorities will allow these men and women to return to their families, and that the ongoing international turmoil will not pose more challenges for Christians in Iran.

  • 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.