Tag: Iran

US pastor released from Iran jail

January 18, 2016 Iran Iran, Maryam Naghash Zargaran, Saeed Abedini, USA

Christian pastor Saeed Abedini is on his way home to his family in the United States, after being released from prison in Iran, the American Centre for Law & Justice confirmed on 17 Jan. The Iranian-born US pastor was released on 16 Jan. as part of a prisoner-swap deal between . . . Read More

Iranian Christians released ‘temporarily’

December 8, 2015 Iran Church of Iran, Eskander Rezaie, Iran, Shiraz

Three Iranian Christians have been released from prison in the southern city of Shiraz. Although officially they have been granted only temporary leave, that they have been led to believe they will not have to return. Mehdi Ameruni, Seyed Bijan Farokhpour Haghigi and Eskander Rezai were arrested at a prayer . . . Read More

Iranian Christian released

November 13, 2015 Iran Church of Iran, Iran, Shiraz, Soroush Saraei

An Iranian Christian has been released from prison in the southern city of Shiraz, reports Middle East Concern. Soroush Saraei had been in prison since July 2014 and was serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for “action against national security” and “propaganda against the order of the system”. He was arrested alongside . . . Read More

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa

October 16, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Belarus, Boko Haram, China, David Cameron, Egypt, Eritrea, Europe, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, London, Middle East, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pope Francis, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam

Christianity is fast disappearing from entire regions, most notably a huge chunk of the Middle East, and could vanish from Iraq within five years, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Released in the UK’s House of Lords on Tuesday, the report, “Persecuted and . . . Read More

Saeed Abedini completes third year in prison

September 29, 2015 Iran House churches, Iran, Karaj, Saeed Abedini

Saeed Abedini has served three years of an eight-year jail sentence for alleged anti-state activities. The American-Iranian pastor, who lived in the US with his wife, Naghmeh, and their two children, was detained in October 2012 during a visit to see his family. After a recent visit to see him . . . Read More

Obama appoints religious minorities envoy

September 28, 2015 Barack Obama, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Minorities, Pakistan, Religious freedom, Syria, USA

President Obama has created a new special envoy position to address the persecution of religious minorities. Knox Thames was appointed to the long-awaited position of special envoy for religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia to coincide with the visit of Pope Francis to the White House . . . Read More

Religious freedom network should be as ‘outspoken and organised’ as the extremists

September 22, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Brazil, El Salvador, Europe, Germany, Honduras, Iran, Migrants, Netherlands, New York, Norway, Religious freedom, Saeed Abedini, South Sudan, Taiwan, UN, USA

In the face of rising persecution of people on the grounds of faith or belief, more than 100 parliamentarians from almost 50 countries met on 18 September in New York to discuss ways to advance religious freedoms. One hundred and thirty delegates packed into a room that was booked for . . . Read More

Yemen church set on fire

September 17, 2015 Yemen Aden, Houthis, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Masked militants yesterday (16. Sep) set ablaze one of the few remaining churches in Aden, Yemen’s southern port city. The fire, which witnesses told the BBC burned the entire contents of the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in the city’s Crater neighbourhood, came the day after vandals had broken in . . . Read More

Hundreds of refugees convert in Germany

September 10, 2015 Afghanistan, Asylum seekers, Berlin, Converts, Europe, Germany, Iran, Norway, Refugees, Syria

Hundreds of asylum seekers – mainly from Iran and Afghanistan – have converted to Christianity at an evangelical church in Berlin, causing an Associated Press journalist to question the legitimacy of their conversions. The pastor of the church, Gottfried Martens, who has witnessed his Trinity Church grow from 150 to 600 . . . Read More

8 Iranian Christians arrested

August 17, 2015 Iran House churches, Iran, Karaj

Armed plain-clothed security officers raided a house church in Iran and arrested eight people, according to Mohabat News. The report says the 7 August arrests and search of the premises in Karaj, 50km west of Tehran, were made without the production of a court order. A personal computer, Bibles and . . . Read More

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