Tag: Iran

Iranian Christian released, but 90 still in prison

August 5, 2015 Iran Church of Iran, Iran

An Iranian Christian has been released from prison after a three-and-a-half-year sentence for “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security”. Alireza Seyyedian, a Church of Iran member, was originally sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, 90 lashes and a fine, reports Middle East Concern, but his sentence was reduced . . . Read More

Iran releases Christian prisoner

July 4, 2015 Iran House churches, Iran, Proselytism, Shiraz

A Christian imprisoned in Iran for 40 months has been released, according to MEC Homayoun Shekohi was arrested on 8 February 2012 in Shiraz as part of a raid on a house church. He and three others were sentenced to three years, eight months in prison for participating in house-church . . . Read More

EU ‘must do more’ to stop religious freedom abuses

June 4, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Brunei, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Religious freedom, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen

Left to right: MEP Dennis de Jong, USCIRF’s Katrina Lantos Swett, EEAS’s Silvio Gonzato, and MEP Peter van Dalen at the report’s launch in Brussels on 3 June.Courtesy European Parliament Intergroup The new European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, said in October 2014 that upholding the . . . Read More

On trial in Iran for celebrating Christmas

May 28, 2015 Iran Assyrians, Christmas, Evin Prison, Iran, Proselytism, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

An Iranian pastor is expected to stand trial in Iran soon, five months after his arrest by security forces for “participating in an illegal gathering” as he celebrated Christmas. Victor Bet-Tamraz led the Tehran Pentecostal Assyrian Church before it was shut down by Iran’s Ministry of Interior in March 2009. . . . Read More

Iran jails another 18 converts

May 22, 2015 Iran Ahmed Shaheed, Converts, Hassan Rouhani, House churches, Human rights, Iran

Another 18 Iranian converts to Christianity have been jailed during the past two months for “evangelism and establishing house churches”, reports Mohabat News. Between them, their sentences amount to 23 years and nine months in jail. Mansour Borji, spokesman for rights group Article 18, told Mohabat News that, although the . . . Read More

2014: A year of particular concern

April 30, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Anti-balaka, Bashar al-Assad, BJP, Boko Haram, Central African Republic, Chibok girls, Chin, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghar Wapsi, Hindu nationalism, India, Iran, Iraq, Islamic State, Kachin, Kano, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Potiskum, Rohingya, Saudi Arabia, Seleka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

If ever there were a year that made plain the importance of religious freedom, 2014 was it, according to the just-released annual report by an American government advisory group. “By any measure, the horrors of the past year speak volumes about how and why religious freedom and the protection of the . . . Read More

Iranian pastor released from prison but others arrested same day remain

February 27, 2015 Iran Armenians, Assyrians, Ayatollah Khamenei, Chaldeans, Evin Prison, Farshid Fathi, Hassan Rouhani, Iran, Islamic extremism, Religious freedom, Sunni, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

After spending more than one year in prison, for ‘collusion against the [Iranian] government’ and ‘evangelism,’ Iranian pastor Rasoul Abdollahi has been released from prison. Abdollahi, a leader in Iran’s house church movement, was arrested Dec. 26 2010 and released last week, Feb. 16. His arrest was the same day . . . Read More

Iranian Christian released – two still detained

January 29, 2015 Iran Iran, Prisons, Shiraz

Middle East Concern, an association of Christian agencies, reports that Iranian detainee Vahid Hakkani was released Jan. 26 from Adel-Abad Prison in Shiraz. Hakkani, one of eight Christians arrested in Feb. 2012, went on at least two hunger strikes during 2014 in efforts to protest against the Iranian judicial authorities . . . Read More

Christmas arrests in Iran: 11 still detained

January 15, 2015 Iran Apostasy, Armenians, Assyrians, Christmas, Converts, Evin Prison, Human rights, Iran, Minorities, Religious freedom, UK, Victor Bet-Tamraz, Zoroastrians

As the US Secretary of State meets his Iranian counterpart in a bid to revive stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, human rights experts are keen that issues of freedom of religion are not overlooked. This week, the UK Foreign Office has said that it’s raised its concern with the . . . Read More

Iran breaks up post-Christmas service

December 30, 2014 Iran Assyrians, Christmas, Evin Prison, Iran, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

Two Christians were jailed and several others questioned after Iranian officials interrupted a Dec. 26 post-Christmas service in Tehran, . “Tens” of plain-clothed security officers, who identified themselves as agents of he Revolutionary Court, entered the home of an Assyrian Christian and declared their worship service to be “Unauthorized and . . . Read More

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