House church members arrested in Iran

02 July 2009

Five house church members who were recent converts were arrested in Karaj, Iran in late May. Farsi Christian News Network said undercover officers raided the house without warrant and also confiscated Bibles and other Christian literature. The families of the five detained persons were not told where they were taken. It is likely that they were taken to Evin—a "notorious" prison where two young women are also being held for converting from Islam to Christianity. These two women are said to be in poor physical and psychological shape due to the prison conditions in Evin.

The Iranian parliament is in the process of passing new apostasy legislation that can hinder already-limited religious freedom in Iran. The proposed legislation is currently a draft bill that will be debated in the Iranian parliament in the near future. If the bill is passed, Iran's ISNA news agency stated, the profession of conversion via internet will be sufficient to condemn the apostate to death for "harming mental security in society."

Please pray for the safety of these five church members. Pray for the house churches in Iran to be encouraged and strengthened during this time of difficulty. Finally, please pray for the Iranian government: that the leaders would lead justly and that religious freedom would flourish in Iran.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090528/iranian-authorities-arrest-5-new-christian-converts/index.html
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10225472.html

Last updated 02 July 2009