New Christian convert beaten, tortured in Iran

Karaj is about 25 km from Tehran.

A newly converted Iranian Christian and active member of a house church in Karaj was arrested in September 2010 and beaten and tortured during his interrogation at the Shahryar detention center, reports Mohabat News, the Iranian Christian News Agency.

Alireza Najafzadeh, a 23-year-old new father and resident of Sharhyar, was arrested on the charge of Christian activism. He was severely beaten and tortured physically and psychologically for three days.

While in custody, Alireza was asked about his house church activities, the names of its members and leaders and which foreign Christian networks and affiliations he was associated with. He had water poured over his hooded head, and he was kicked and beaten. On more than one occasion, he was hung from a hook and whipped with a cable or water hose. All the while, his assailants insulted him, his family, his faith and Jesus Christ.

After three days of nonstop torture, Alireza’s family was able to find someone to post bail for him. The security officers agreed to release Alireza on the condition that he not seek any medical treatment from any doctor.

“The told me if I talk about my interrogation or torture or continue my Christian activities, I would face severe consequences such as being killed intentionally by a car that would look like an accident or my family would find my dead body in a farm field outside of the town with no reasonable explanation as to the cause of death,” Alireza told a Mohabat News reporter more than two months after his release.

Alireza and his family have since fled the country. They have become refugees, losing everything because of their faith in Christ.

To hear Alireza describe his arrest and torturous experience in his own words and to see images of his wounds, click here.

Please pray for Alireza and his family. Pray for their safety, well-being and health. Pray they would be encouraged to continue standing up for their faith in the midst of trials. Pray all Iranian believers would be filled with the peace of God.