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Prison

• Christian Blogger Faces Abuse in Prison

  

  Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi, a Christian convert and outspoken critic of the oppression being experienced by the Iranian people, has had to endure imprisonment and abuse. Initially arrested in November 2017, she was sentenced to six months in prison for her "membership in proselytizing groups," as well as her participation in Christian activity and the spreading of propaganda. Although released in the spring of 2018, Mary was arrested again in July 2019 prior to being freed on bail. In December, she was unexpectedly banned from continuing her education at the Islamic Adad University.

• Women Imprisoned for Collecting Offerings

  

  The pastor of a house church in China's Hubei province, along with two other women from the church, are facing charges of fraud because they collected offering money for their church. Officials claim that the church is illegal and its pastor does not have a legal ordination; therefore, they allege the money was collected fraudulently. The pastor, Hao Zhiwei, could face more than 10 years in prison if convicted.

• "Illegal Practice of Medicine" Charges for Praying

  

  Three Christians were arrested in the village of Vadi in Madhya Pradesh on December 16th after fellow villagers accused them of practising illegal medicine. They spent 11 days in jail before being released on bail. Pastor Mukam Kiraad, along with two members of his church, Lalsingh Tomar and Nanliya Rawat, were shocked to learn they were charged with medical malpractice after praying for physical healing.

• Pastor Wang Yi Sentenced to Nine Years

  

  In what is believed to be the longest sentence against a house church leader in more than a decade, Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church was sentenced to nine years in prison for "inciting to subvert state power" and "illegal business operations." The charges for business operations relate to the printing and distribution of Christian books by the church.

• Imprisoned with Serious Health Concerns

  

  Health concerns are a major issue for two Chinese Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith. Although Hu Shigen was taken into custody in July 2015, he was convicted of "subversion of state power" the following year. A photo of his baptismal ceremony was used as evidence against him, resulting in a sentence consisting of seven-and-a-half years.

• Clampdown Against Christians Continues

  

  A recent wave of raids against Christians has taken place, with at least 150 arrested in the past two months. On June 23rd, 70 members of the Faith Mission Church of Christ in Keren were arrested (see this report). The believers were taken to the Ashufera prison which, according to reports, consists of a series of tunnels in a remote area outside of the city. Prisoners there are forced to dig more tunnels when additional space is needed.

• Christian Woman Sentenced to Prison

  

  Mahrokh Kanbari (or "Ghanbari"), 65, was summoned to the Karaj Islamic Revolutionary Court on July 27th to face charges of "propaganda against the system." She had also been ordered to go to a religious leader for "instruction," where she was directed to return to Islam.

• Updates on Pastors John Cao and Wang Yi

  

  It was recently reported that the appeal hearing for American/Chinese pastor John Cao had been cancelled, for the court was to instead make its decision based solely on written submissions (see this report). On July 25th, the outcome of the court's decision was to uphold the original seven-year sentence. Due to a heavy police presence, only Pastor John Cao's elderly mother and sister, along with his lawyer, were allowed to hear the verdict.

• Christian Prisoner Conditionally Released

  

  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.

• Pastor Cao Faces a "Paper Trial"

  

  American pastor John Cao and his co-worker, Jing Ruxia, were detained in 2017 after being accused of "organizing illegal border crossings" between Myanmar and China (see our previous report). Pastor Cao was sentenced to seven years in prison and Jing to one year. Although the accused pastor has appealed the sentence, the hearing has been pushed back several times.

  Last week, the hearing was scheduled for August 22nd. However, Pastor Cao's lawyer received notice on July 12th that there will be no hearing after all; instead, the lawyers must submit any arguments on paper by July 17th. The court would then consider the arguments and render a decision. ChinaAid founder Bob Fu has condemned the process as a "sham" and a "trial session on paper only."