Iranian officials hopeful Christians will forget about Pastor Nadarkhani

Please remember Pastor Youcef in your prayers.
Photo: Present Truth Ministries   

Iranian Christians thank us for our continued prayer for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, whose death sentence for apostasy (i.e. leaving Islam) was upheld in provincial court hearings in late September 2011, reports Middle East Concern. No written verdict has yet been delivered following those hearings.

It has recently been reported that the Head of the Judiciary had ordered the presiding judge at the provincial court to continue delaying the issuing of the written verdict. Pastor Youcef is to remain detained, and pressure to recant his faith in Jesus is to continue. Recanting his faith would lead to his immediate release.

Youcef is a pastor within the Full Gospel Church of Iran denomination in the northern city of Rasht. He has been detained in prison since October 2009. In September 2010 the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province found him guilty of apostasy and sentenced him to death - a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2011.

The Supreme Court also ordered the original tribunal to clarify whether or not Youcef was ever a practicing Muslim as an adult, and to give him further opportunity to recant his faith in Jesus. He refused to do so during the September 2011 hearings. The judge's verbal ruling acknowledged that Youcef had not been a practicing Muslim as an adult but upheld the death sentence because he was from Muslim ancestry and therefore guilty of apostasy (for more on Pastor Youcef, click here).

According to Present Truth Ministries, the order was designed to cause the international community, specifically Christians, to forget about Youcef’s case.

"Once we forget about him, then they are free to execute him," a spokesperson from Present Truth Ministries told Mission Network News.

Please don’t forget Pastor Youcef! 

• Pray that Youcef's death sentence will be revoked and his conviction overturned.
• Please pray that Youcef, his wife, Fatemeh, and their two sons will know the comfort, presence and hope of Jesus, and that the family will be reunited soon. 
• Pray that Christians throughout Iran will not be intimidated but will know the Lord's enabling and guidance. 
• Pray that all officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him.

Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani to hear court's decision in December

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
remains in Lakan Prison in Iran.
Photo: Present Truth Ministries

With his faith intact and his love for Christ steadfast, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani remains in Lakan Prison in Iran charged with apostasy and sentenced to death. The Iranian government has denied the sentencing is based on apostasy despite abundant evidence to the contrary (for more, click here).

According to Present Truth Ministries, the court in Gilan is awaiting a response to their two letters of referral that were written to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khameini. Youcef's attorney has said the court will wait one month for a response. If they do not receive a response, they will issue a ruling sometime in mid-December.

According to a member of Pastor Youcef's denomination who requested anonymity, Youcef's health has deteriorated and he has undergone physical and psychological torture, reports Compass Direct News.

"We know that he has been in extreme situations, and we consider that torture," the source said. "When you have spent time in a solitary cell unable to talk to others for a long time, or you are told you will be killed, this is also torture."

Please pray!

• Please pray that Pastor Youcef will remain healthy and strong despite the burdens of imprisonment.
• Pray that the worldwide attention garnered by his persecution will increase pressure on Iranian officials to stop harassing and imprisoning Christians.
• Please pray that Youcef and his family will experience a peace that surpasses all understanding as they endure these trials (Philippians 4:7).

To post a prayer of support for Pastor Youcef and his family, visit our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall. For more on the trials believers face in Iran, click here.

Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani refuses to recant, faces execution

Pastor Youcef and his family. (Photo: Present Truth Ministries)

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy in September 2010, refused to recant his faith during four court hearings held on September 25-28. He now faces an imminent verdict of the death sentence, which is expected to be issued within seven days.

"They probably won't kill him today, but they can do it whenever they want," a source said. "Sometimes in Iran they call the family and deliver the body with the verdict."

In July, the Supreme Court instructed the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province to review Youcef's case to verify whether he was previously a practicing Muslim (for more information, click here). At the recent hearings, the court in Rasht ruled that Pastor Youcef was not a practicing Muslim before becoming a Christian but that he remains guilty of apostasy because of his Muslim ancestry.

Please pray!

• Pray for continued strength and grace for Pastor Youcef. 
• Pray that all charges against him will be dropped. 
• Pray that Pastor Youcef will rely on the Lord to give him the words to say when he stands before accusing authorities (Matthew 10:19). 
• Pray that Iranian authorities will act justly in this case.

Please act!
A source in Iran has shared that it is critical for foreign governments to negotiate and engage in diplomacy with Iranian authorities about Nadarkhani's case, adding that Youcef's predicament could be more hopeful if they intervened. Please raise a voice on Pastor Youcef's behalf by writing Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, your local MP, and the Iranian embassy. For addresses and a sample letter you can use, click here.

(Sources: Compass Direct, Present Truth Ministries, Christian Solidarity Worldwide).

Iranian Christian pastor detained

Pastor Benham Irani with his wife and one
of his children
(Photo: Present Truth Ministries)

An Iranian Christian pastor has been detained by Iranian authorities, reported ASSIST News yesterday.

According to Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries, Pastor Behnam Irani has been convicted of “actions against the Order.” DeMars said this means Irani’s organized house-church meetings and other Christian activities.

Pastor Behnam is a husband and father of two children.

You can read the full report here.

Please pray for Pastor Irani’s release. Pray he will be filled with strength to endure for Jesus and for peace for his family. Pray God will work in the hearts of the Iranian authorities who have detained him.