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2021-09-30

• 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.

• Large Mob Attacked Church in Chhattisgarh

  

  Around 60 Christians were gathered for worship on the morning of Sunday, August 29th, when a mob of over 100 people barged into the facility and began shouting Hindu slogans. The perpetrators proceeded to physically assault all of the attending church members, destroy their musical instruments, and tear apart a Bible before trampling it underfoot. The invading militants then placed Hindu idols in the building and began worshipping them.

• Appeals Denied for Pastor and Bookstore Salesman

  

  In addition to pastoring the Oran City Church in Algeria, Rachid Seighir owned and operated a book and stationery shop, where Nouh Hamimi worked as a salesman. On February 27th, both men were convicted of "shaking the faith" of Muslims through the literature that was sold at their bookstore. In June, the initial two-year sentences given to the accused men were reduced to one-year suspended sentences. These sentences were in addition to the separate fines imposed by the court. (See this report for more details.)