Farshid Fathi was in solitary confinement for months before he was told that he could be free on $200,000 bail; with great difficulty, his family came up with the cash after selling his father-in-law’s home, but when Fathi was ready to to walk out the prison door, the chief interrogator from the Iranian public prosecutor’s office ordered him back for further questioning.
Christians in Iran have challenged news reports that the death penalty for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been annulled pointing out that in reality the Supreme Court appears to have added a precondition requiring him to renounce his faith or face execution, according to an international Christian rights group.
Iran’s secretive supreme court has reportedly overturned a death sentence handed down to an evangelical pastor for leaving Islam, surprising trial observers who were earlier informed about an execution ruling.
An Iranian pastor, convicted of apostasy and sentenced to death, may have only hours or days to live, according to a US-based Christian ministry acquainted with the facts of his case.
The general director of comparative religious studies in Iran claimed the enemies of Islam donate approximately $50,000 a year to Iranian house churches that often have memberships of only 15-20 members.
No country in the Middle East has seen more Christians imprisoned in 2011 than in Iran. A recent report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide revealed that 254 Christians were arrested in more than thirty cities across the country since June 2010.
The fate of an Iranian Christian prisoner remained unclear Friday, June 10, nearly nine months after he was detained by security forces as part of a reported government crackdown on devoted Christians in this strict Islamic nation.
An increase in the arrest of Iranians converting from Islam reveals an abundant harvest resulting from evangelism by clandestine house churches in the Islamic state, according to Iranian Christian leaders.
Eleven members of one of Iran’s largest evangelical house church movements, who were charged with ‘action against the order of the country’ and drinking alcohol, have been acquitted by an Iranian court, Worthy News learned Friday, May 20.
Iran has released three Christians who were detained last year during Christian gatherings, but concerns remain over the whereabouts of a Dutch-Iranian believer, rights activists confirmed Friday, May 6.
There was international concern Tuesday, May 3, over the situation of 11 members of one of Iran’s largest evangelical house churches amid reports they face a trial for “activities against the Order”, and for drinking alcohol.
An Iranian court has once again adjourned a trial of Christians of a large evangelical “house” church movement who potentially face the death penalty for “blasphemy” against Islam, trial observers said Wednesday, April 13.
An Iranian court has given prosecutors a week to prove that five Christians of a large evangelical house church denomination are guilty of blasphemy, which carries the death penalty in Iran, a senior church official told Worthy News and its affiliated news partner BosNewsLife Wednesday, April 6.
Five detained members of one of Iran’s largest house church movements were to face a trial Monday, April 5, on charges of “blasphemy” which carries the death penalty in this strict Islamic nation, a church representative told Worthy News.
There was concern Tuesday, March 29, about the whereabouts of three detained Iranian house church Christians after Iranian security forces raided a worship service, Iranian Christians said.
Iran has secretly executed a Jewish-Armenian couple and three other persons, raising concerns about other religious minority prisoners in the strict Islamic nation, Iranian Christians and rights activists confirmed Sunday, March 27.
Five Iranian house church Christians were behind bars Wednesday, March 15, after being sentenced to one year imprisonment on charges of “crimes against the Islamic order” and there were reports that Iranian authorities have been burning Bibles.
At least over 30 Christians who were recently detained remained behind bars in Iran Tuesday, February 22, but there were reports that scores of other believers were released after being held by security forces in several parts of the strict Islamic nation.
An Iranian court has told arrested evangelical Christians who may face execution on charges of apostasy that they “should be punished”, but that their trial “has been postpone for April,” a senior church official said Thursday, February 17.
According to the Iranian Christian News Agency (Mohabat News), 10 new Christians from the city of Dezful about to celebrate Christmas Eve with fellow Christians from Ahvaz and Andimeshk were arrested by security forces the day before Christmas.