Despite being a member of the Armenian Orthodox Church, which is permitted in Iran due to its long history, Sevada Aghasar has faced numerous challenges for his faith. After being initially arrested in August 2013, but never officially charged, he served six months in prison (see this report).

Then, in April 2015, Sevada was sentenced to five years in prison for "acting against national security through house-church activities" (read more). He began serving this sentence two years ago after losing his appeal.

We are thankful to report the recently received good news that on July 21st, Sevada was granted an early conditional release. While the conditions of his release are not known, they likely include a prohibition on evangelism. For more information on the persecution of Christians in Iran, read the country report.

Praise God for the release of Sevada! At the same time, please remain mindful to pray for the many Christians in Iran who are still imprisoned because of their faith. Despite the opposition posed against the country's followers of Christ, may the phenomenal church growth that's taking place continue with great fervour. And to accommodate the resulting spiritual needs, pray that helpful resources will be made available to disciple and train this great influx of new believers who have chosen to follow "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).