IRAN: Jailed Pastor's Bible Seized

Date of Bulletin: 23 April 2014

Iranian authorities recently confiscated a Bible and several Christian books from Pastor Behnam Irani, who is serving a five-year sentence on two separate convictions of "crimes against national security." Prisoners are supposed to be allowed religious materials in their cell, regardless of their religion.

The pastor is currently recovering from a February 2014 abdominal surgery. You can write an encouraging letter to Pastor Behnam Irani at www.prisoneralert.com.

Present Truth Ministries
Photo: Pastor Behnam Irani visits with his younger brother while recovering from surgery
 

Please Pray!

• Please pray for Pastor Behnam as he recovers from surgery.

• Pray also for his family; the pastor has a wife and two young children.

• Pray that the Scripture he has hidden in his heart will be a comfort to him as he serves his sentence.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:105 

The Voice of the Martyrs helps Christians in Iran by providing Farsi Bibles and by supporting Christian satellite broadcasts.

IRAN: Christians Arrested at Church Picnic

Date of Bulletin: 26 March 2014

Iran

On March 6, Pastor Amin Khaki and seven other believers were arrested by Iranian intelligence agents while having a picnic in a park near Shoush, Khuzestan province. The officers reportedly pulled their guns on the believers and beat them, even injuring one man. The Christians were blindfolded and detained in interrogation rooms for six hours.

Five of the believers were released, but Pastor Amin and two other church members remain in prison in Shoush. No charges have been filed, and no bail has been set. Pastor Amin's wife reportedly received a very brief phone call from him in which he simply told her that he was doing fine.

Present Truth Ministries
Photo: Pastor Amin Khaki

 Please Pray!

• Please pray that God will comfort and protect these believers while they are in prison and that other prisoners will be drawn to the truth of the gospel through them.

• Pray that the Iranian authorities will be favorably disposed toward the believers and that they will be released soon to return to their families.

"For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the LORD viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death."

- Psalm 102:19-20 -

The Voice of the Martyrs helps Christians in Iran by providing Farsi Bibles and by supporting Christian satellite broadcasts.

New Prisoner Alert Factsheet: VRUIR AVANESSIAN - Iran

 

P r i s o n e r    P r o f i l e

 Vruir Avanessian

Prisoner Name: Vruir Avanessian

Location: Iran

Date Arrested: December 2013

Date Revised: 19 December 2013

Pastor Vruir Avanessian, 61, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Dec. 5, 2013 for anti-government activities and the promotion of ideas contrary to the sanctity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Pastor Avanessian was arrested Dec. 27, 2012 as he gathered at a private home with other Christians to celebrate Christmas. The pastor is an ordained minister in the officially-registered Assemblies of God Church in Iran and of Armenian heritage, Iran's largest Christian religious minority. He has served as a pastor for more than 17 years.

One of the most concerning aspects of Pastor Avanessian's case is his serious medical condition. The pastor suffers from heart disease and diabetes. He undergoes kidney dialysis three times a week at a private clinic in Tehran, and has been retired from active ministry due to his medical condition. He was unable to attend his own court hearing because he was receiving dialysis at the time. The court was fully aware of the pastor's health, and issued the three-and-a half year sentence anyway. Friends and family are extremely concerned about Pastor Avanessian's ability to withstand the rigors of prison.

Pastor Avanessian's initial court hearing was held on Sept. 7, 2013. The hearing was held behind closed doors and was closed to the public. After that hearing, the judge stated that until a verdict was announced, Pastor Avanessian was to remain at home and avoid all contact with other Christians. After the verdict was handed down, he was given 20 days to file a complaint.

According to Mohabat News and other sources, the Iranian government has been on a campaign of arresting Armenian-Iranian Christian leaders who are actively involved in the evangelisation of Farsi-speaking Iranians. In recent months several of these leaders have been summoned or  arrested by security forces and warned to completely stop their ministry activities or leave the country within 90 days. The central branch of the Assemblies of God Church in Tehran, the largest Farsi-speaking church in Iran, was ordered to be closed in May 2013, and its leader arrested.

What You Can Do?

• Pray for Pastor Vruir Avanessian. 

• Post this PrisonerAlert.com Prisoner Profile on the bulletin board in your church, Sunday School class or Christian school.

• Share a copy with your pastor, members of your Bible study group or other Christian friends.

• Write to Paster Vruir Avanessian.

Address for Vruir Avanessian:

Evin Prison
Saadat Abad
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran

Please Note!

When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source of your information or the name of any organization such as Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from individuals, but if an organization is mentioned they may be accused of links with 'foreign organizations' and receive harsher sentences. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. For the latest information, including letter writing tools and helps, please visit PrisonerAlert.com.

Visit www.prisoneralert.com for updates on this prisoner.

Vruir Avanessian is also a talented singer! Below is a video of one of his songs:

Vruir Avanessian-Shahre Nasereh وروير آوانسيان شهر ناصره 

IRAN: Harsh Sentences for Believers Upheld

 Bulletin Date: 18 December 2013

On Oct. 12, 2013, an appeals court upheld the sentences given to four believers who have been detained in Shiraz since February 2012. The four, Homayoun, Korosh, Mojtaba and Vahid, were convicted on June 10, 2013, on charges of attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security. They each were sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. Homayoun and Mojtaba have previous convictions, from 2008, for which they received suspended sentences.

On Oct. 20, four other believers were sentenced to 80 lashes each after being convicted of charges related to drinking communion wine. The men submitted an appeal, but it was rejected, according to a key source.

Across Iran, a number of other believers remain detained for their faith or Christian activities, and others  await court hearings

.
Mohabat News

Photo: Iranian house church

Please Pray!

• Iranian Christians supporting these believers request our prayers that Homayoun, Korosh, Mojtaba and Vahid will know the presence and peace of Jesus each day.

• Please pray that others detained for their faith and/or Christian activities will also know the presence and peace of Jesus, and be released soon.

• Pray also that all officials involved will act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

"Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me." Mic. 7:7-8

The Voice of the Martyrs helps Christians in Iran by providing Farsi Bibles and by supporting Christian satellite broadcasts.

Iran: Mostafa Bordbar Released!

Give thanks & praise to our precious Lord!

Today, World Watch Monitor announced that Mostafa Mohammed Bordbar was released from prison on 3 November 2013. Mostafa was serving a 10 year sentence in Evin Prison, Iran.

"An Iranian Christian sentenced to 10 years in prison has been released after three months.

Mostafa Bordbar, 27, was released Nov. 3 from Tehran’s Evin Prison after overturning charges of participating in an “anti-security organisation and “gathering with intent to commit crimes against Iranian national security”.

Bordbar was arrested in December last year during Christmas celebrations with friends and sentenced in July. He was detained for a total of 11 months.

The Oct. 30 appeals court hearing cleared him of all charges."

Source:  World Watch Monitor

Pray Request: Saeed Abedini - Iran

Yesterday, the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) sent out an urgent update on Pastor Saeed Abedini. Below is a copy of the email.

"Pastor Saeed's life is in grave danger.

Yesterday, he was transferred to another Iranian prison – a deadly cellblock in one of Iran's most dangerous and obscure prisons.

He is no longer sharing a cell with political prisoners but with murderers. Rajai Shahr Prison is where prisoners are sent to disappear – many are murdered at the hands of other prisoners.

President Obama, who has already spoken to the President of Iran about Pastor Saeed, must take immediate diplomatic action to save Saeed's life. Time is of the essence.

Join our urgent new effort to urge President Obama to take decisive action. There is no more critical time than now. 

Sign our New Petition: Immediately Intervene to Save Saeed.

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

P.S. Please earnestly pray and share this critical message. A U.S. citizen's life hangs in the balance."

Gohardasht Prison is in the town of Gohardasht, which is situated in the northern outskirts of Karaj, about 20 km from Tehran. Gohardasht Prison is also known as Rajai Shahr Prison.

Please pray:

• That the Lord will comfort Pastor Saeed, be his strength, keep him safe and remain close to him;
• That the other prisoners held in Rajai Shahr Prison will hear about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord & Saviour;
• That the Lord will also comfort, strengthen & provide for Saeed's wife, Naghmeh & their two children who live in USA.

Naghmeh Abedini

You can help support Naghmeh Abedini with prayer by joining her Facebook page, Pray For Pastor Saeed Abedini.

You can also follow Free Pastor Saeed & Naghmeh Abedini on Twitter.

Naghmeh Abedini shares her wonderful testimony in the video below. You can also link to the video at: https://vimeo.com/76932333


Naghmeh Abedini from Calvary Chapel on Vimeo.

Prayer Request: Farshid Fathi - Iran

Prisoner Profile

Prisoner Name: Farshid Fathi

Farshid Fathi, Iran

Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Arrested: December 2010

Revised: 20 August 2013

Farshid Fathi was arrested on Dec. 26, 2010 in a wave of arrests of believers in Tehran and other areas. Of the 22 believers arrested by security forces in Tehran, 10 were released after intense questioning and after they signed agreements to refrain from Christian activities. Eleven others were also later released. By the end of April, 2011, only Farshid remained in prison, though his family had paid an enormous bail sum. He spent nearly a year in solitary confinement.

Farshid, a Christian convert from Islam, was charged with "acting against national security through membership of a Christian organization, collection of funds, propaganda against the Islamic Regime by helping spread Christianity in the country," and sentenced to six years of imprisonment on March 5, 2012. Though the charge is for his Christian work, authorities tried to cast his activities as political offenses

.
Farshid's appeal against the charges was rejected in June 2012. He is due to serve the rest of his sentence in Evin Prison.

According to Elam Ministries, Farshid is a shining beacon for Christ in Evin, so much so that the son of an Iranian ayatollah commented on Farshid's sweet nature in a YouTube video. The two shared a cell. The man remarked on how beloved Farshid is among the inmates. Elam described Farshid as "a man after God's own heart."

Farshid Fathi & his family, Iran.

Farshid, born in 1979, is married to Leila, and has two children, Rosana and Bardia.

€My Lord Has Never Left Me - November 2012

Farshid wrote a letter to his father in November 2012, which describes the condition of his heart during a very lonely time.

€Often I have been sorrowful because of certain things, but I have never been a slave of sadness. Often I have been insulted, humiliated and accused, but I have never doubted my identity in Christ. Some have deserted me, some have fled from me; in no way do I pass judgment on them. My Lord has never left me. €‚What really matters is I am my Belovedƒs and my Beloved is mine. This possibly is the sweetest truth of my life that I am His and He is mine.

Letter from Farshid to Newtown

The following is excerpted from a letter Farshid wrote to the parents of the children killed in Newtown, CT.
I am so sorry and you are in my prayers. I am sure these high walls cannot stop my prayers for you. Before this tragedy happened, I was thinking about my suffering that I'm going through because of my Lord Jesus Christ, especially being far from my lovely kids.. But when I imagine how hard your pain is I forget my sufferings. Because I know by God's grace I will see my kids at the latest in 2017 when I come out from prison. But unfortunately you have to wait a bit longer.

Farshid Under Mental Torture - August 2013

In a letter written from prison, Farshid Fathi described how his interrogators have used emotional manipulation to break him. He wrote, €I was told falsely that my wife had been arrested as well, and that I needed to give my [two] childrenƒs custody to someone temporarily. I was also informed, falsely, that my dad had a heart attack and was hospitalized. Then they wouldn'ƒt give me any follow-up news on whether he was dead or alive. It was all intended to put me under mental pressure.

In reality, his father is fine, and his wife and two children fled Iran in 2011. They are now in Canada.

Evin Prison, Iran

Farshid Fathi wrote a letter in November 2012, which was published just recently. The letter is addressed to Farshid's father and in it he pours out his heart to his father.

Be A Voice Network: IRAN: Christians Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

NEW PRAYER BULLETIN: IRAN CONVICTS CHRISTIANS

Date of Bulletin: July 03, 2013

 In June, the Revolutionary Court convicted four

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Christians of attending a house church,
spreading Christianity, having contact with
foreign ministries, spreading propaganda
against the regime and disrupting national
security. Mojtaba Seyyed-Alaedin Hossein,
Mohammad-Reza Partoei (Koorosh), Vahid
Hakkani and Homayoun Shokouhi were each
sentenced to three years and eight months in
prison. The convictions received little media
coverage because media attention was focused
on Iran's presidential election at the time.

These Christian converts were arrested as part
of a Feb. 8, 2012, raid on a house church. Two of the men, Mojtaba Seyyed-Alaedin Hossein and Homayoun Shokouhi, had been previously arrested on May 11, 2008, with eight other believers and received five-year suspended prison sentences.

The men have the option to appeal their sentence within 20 days.

Source: Mohabat News (Iranian Christian News Agency)
Photo: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Please Pray!

Please pray for the safety and well-being of these Christian prisoners, and pray for their families, who have been denied contact with them since the court ruling. Pray that these men will be witnesses for Christ to fellow inmates and that their appeals will result in their release.

"O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; judge my case. You have seen all their vengeance, all their schemes against me." Lam. 3:59-60

The Voice of the Martyrs helps Christians in Iran by providing Farsi Bibles and by supporting Christian satellite broadcasts.

You can read further on this news item by visiting Mohabat News' article:

Six Christian Converts Convicted Amid Presidential Election Fuss !

Pray Request: Pastor Robert Asserian - Iran

Pastor Robert Asserian, of the Assemblies of
God church in Tehran, was arrested and
taken to an unknown location on May 21,
after a large detachment of Islamic Security
agents raided the church. Security agents first
raided Pastor Asserian's home, confiscating
many of his belongings.

A close friend of Pastor Asserian, who served
in ministry with him for many years, said, "The
church knew it was only a matter of time until
something like this happened. I would like to
ask the global Church to pray for Pastor
Asserian; he is a much-loved pastor, husband
and father of two young sons.

Please also pray for the whole church at this traumatic
time. I would like to see the international
community holding Iranian authorities to
account for this incident, which is just one
example of the regime's systematic and
flagrant abuse of Iranian freedoms."
 
Sources: Elam Ministries and Article 18
 
Please Pray!

Please pray for Pastor Robert Asserian and his family. Pray also that the church will find ways to continue meeting and that they will not become discouraged. Pray that many Iranian leaders will experience God's mercy and goodness through faith in Christ.

"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ … and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Phil. 1:27-29

Iran Sentences Pastor Saeed Abedini to 8 years in Evin Prison

Pastor Saeed Abedini, who is an American citizen, has been beaten and tortured since his imprisonment last fall and is now facing eight years in Evin Prison, one of the most brutal prisons in Iran. He has been convicted for his involvement in house churches in the early 2000s.

Evin Prison is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. Beatings, torture, mock executions and brutal interrogations are the norm at Evin prison.

Farshid Fathi is also being held at Evin Prison.







You can sign a petition, calling for his release by following this link.

Please pray for Pastor Saeed, his wife Naghmeh, and their two children who live in the U.S.

You can read more at  America Centre for Law and Justice's website.

News: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Again Free!

 Let us thank & praise the Lord for this wonderful news!

"Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was just released in Iran.

A leader in Pastor Youcef’s church has confirmed to the ACLJ that Iranian authorities released Pastor Youcef from prison shortly after 1:30 p.m. near Rasht, Iran.

He had been re-arrested on Christmas Day in Iran, the first Christmas he would have been able to spend with his wife and two young sons after his nearly three-year imprisonment for his Christian faith.

After initially spending 1,062 days behind bars under a death sentence for apostasy (becoming a Christian), he has now been forced to spend an additional 14 days in prison because of his faith even after his apostasy conviction was absolved.

The ACLJ welcomes his release from this unjust and illegal imprisonment.  Iran must not be allowed to persecute individuals because of their faith.

Pastor Youcef has become the face of persecution around the world, and his re-arrest on Christmas Day shows Iran’s intent to make an example of Pastor Youcef to intimidate people of minority faiths.

While Pastor Youcef is now once again free, American Pastor Saeed Abedini remains imprisoned for his faith in one of Iran’s most notoriously brutal and abusive prisons."

 

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Again Free | Iran, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ

News Updates on Pastors Youcef Nadarkhani & Saeed Abedini

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

You can join a community page that has been set up for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani on Facebook.

Please keep both our brothers & their families in your prayers!

Prayer Alert: Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Facing Execution in Next 24 Hours

I have posted a copy of an email I have just received from Persecution.org. Please join me in praying for our Christian brother, Youcef Nadarkhani and his family.

Dear Friend,  

We are asking for your urgent prayer for Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor who may be executed within the next 24 hours if he continues to refuse to recant his faith in court. 

Youcef is the pastor of a house church in Rasht, Iran, and was arrested in October 2009 for opposing the education practice that forces non-Muslim students to read the Quran in school. Youcef had argued that the Iranian constitution permits children to be raised in their parents' faith; however, for defying Iranian authorities, Youcef was charged with apostasy.

Iranian officials used pressure tactics during Youcef's imprisonment as an attempt to coerce him to renounce his Christian beliefs, which included arresting his wife and threatening to seize his children. Still, Youcef remained firm in his faith, refusing to deny the name of his Savior Jesus Christ.

On September 22, 2010, Youcef was issued the death sentence for his conversion to Christianity and for encouraging the conversions of other Muslims. Youcef appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Iran, claiming he had never been a Muslim and therefore could not be found guilty of apostasy. However, a written verdict upholding the death penalty and ordering an investigation was handed down on June 12. A reexamination of the case to determine whether Nadarkhani will live or die began on Sunday and has continued for the past two days. Early this morning, Youcef refused to deny his faith for the fourth time in court. Technically, he must only be granted three opportunities to return to Islam before he can be executed for apostasy.

Throughout his imprisonment, Youcef has trusted in the Lord and has been a bold witness of the redeeming work of Christ in his life. Remember, Jesus did not merely warn His followers that they might be persecuted; He promised it, saying, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you," (John 15:18-20). 

Youcef has learned to delight in hardships and persecution for Christ's sake (2 Cor. 12:10). "Many attempt to flee from their spiritual tests... [but] no one will be victorious by escaping from them, but with patience and humility he will be able to overcome all the tests and gain victory," he wrote from Lakan Prison last June. "Although heaven and earth will fade, His word will still remain."

Sincerely in Christ,

Jeff King

President, ICC

International Christian Concern

www.persecution.org



Please remember to pray for the people who are hearing Pastor Youcef's testimony! Pray that many of them now turn to our Lord too and be saved!