Sisters' Stories

Women

• Imprisoned for Not Denying Christ

  

  Fatemeh Bakhteri has begun a one-year prison sentence in the infamous Evin Prison because she refuses to renounce her faith in Christ. Fatemeh (also known as Ailar) was first informed of her sentence for "acting against national security" in September 2018.

  In an appeal hearing this past January, Fatemeh and co-defendant Saheb Fadaie were pressured by presiding judges to renounce their faith, which they refused to do. The decision upholding the verdict was announced in May, and Fatemeh presented herself to the prison in Tehran on August 31st. Saheb was already serving a ten-year sentence for his work in establishing a house church. To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Iran, go to our country report.

• Appeal Hearing Postponed

  

  On August 29th, it was reported that an appeal hearing was scheduled to take place on September 3rd for Shamiram Isavi Khabizeh and Kevian Fallah Mohammadi. (More information on this case is available here.) When it was time for the hearing, the appointed judge failed to appear. Consequently, the hearing was postponed and, as of this report, no new date has been set.

• Government Assures Leah Sharibu is Alive

  

  More than a month ago, rumours began to spread that Leah Sharibu, a Christian teen who was kidnapped in February 2018, had been killed. At the time of that report, questions were raised about its accuracy. On August 31st, a presidential aide met with reporters, stating that Leah is still alive and that the government is working to negotiate her release. "The government is committed to her safe return, as well as all the other hostages," he assured.

• Continued Violence Against Christians

  

  A pregnant mother was killed in the village of Ancha, Plateau State, on July 15th. Margaret Wakili, 27, was bringing food to her husband in the field when eight men, who are believed to be Fulani herdsmen, suddenly initiated an attack. The husband heard them shout, "Allahu Akbar, we have killed an infidel, and we need to kill more." That day, an elderly woman from the same village was also attacked and killed.

• 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.

• Christians Forced to Reconvert

  

  Christians who had been worshipping privately in their homes were dragged before local village leaders and forced to participate in a "reconversion" rite on June 14th. The action follows a pronouncement two days earlier that 12 Christian families in Mahuatoli would be banished if they did not return to the tribal Sarna religion. As a result of the threats, most have fled the village.

  According to an area pastor, threats are common in the Gumla District of Jharkhand, where Hindu militants have joined together with tribalists to revolt against the growth of Christianity. In this instance, a mob of 20 villagers broke into the home of Jogiya Munda, forcing him and his widowed mother to bow before an idol. Buckets of water were poured on them to symbolize the purification rite.

• Confiscations and Arrests Include Children

  

  Security officers raided the Faith Missions Church in Eritrea's second largest city of Keren on June 23rd, confiscating property and arresting a number of those present -- including pregnant women and children. The church has been operating in the country since the early 1950s and seeking registration since 2002. However, the government has outlawed any religious practice not associated with either the Roman Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox or Evangelical Lutheran denominations, or Sunni Islam.

• Christian Girls Targeted

  

  In various areas of the world where Islam is dominant, tactics are being used by militants to stop the spread of Christianity. One way is to target young Christian girls. According to Greg Kelley of World Mission, Islamic leaders in Indonesia have been training young men to seduce and impregnate Christian girls, often forcibly. Due to cultural pressure, and the shame that is brought on the families, the victimized girls are often forced to marry into a Muslim family.

• Pastor's Wife Released on Bail

  

  On the evening of December 9th, 2018, over 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church were arrested in coordinated raids on their homes. The pastor, Wang Yi, remains in detention, facing up to 15 years in prison. Several others, including his wife, also face charges. For more information on this incident, go to this page.

• Five Christians Arrested

  

  Five Christians, including two foreign nationals, were arrested on April 23rd on allegations of attempted proselytization. The arrests happened during an early morning raid on a hotel in Ghorahi. The police seized Bibles, computers and other items, including American currency. Before being arrested for preaching Christianity and converting through allurement, the five were scheduled to attend a Christian conference that day.