Update on Christians arrested in church raid in Ahvaz, Iran

In January we requested prayer following a raid on an officially recognized church in Ahvaz, Iran.

Middle East Concern reports that three Christians detained during the raid remain imprisoned: the church's pastor, Farhad, and two other church members, Davoud and Naser. Farhad's wife, Shahnaz, was detained but released on January 1.

There is mounting concern for Farhad's health. He had been receiving medical treatment shortly before being detained. In jail, he has been denied access to a doctor and has been unable to continue his medication.

Shahnaz was released when a property title deed was deposited as bail. However, there are no known charges against her, nor against Farhad, Davoud and Naser.

Iranian Christians request our prayers that:

• Farhad, Davoud and Naser will know the presence, peace and healing of Jesus, and that they will be acquitted and released soon.
• Shahnaz and other family members of detainees will know the Father's strength.
• All church members will know the Spirit's wisdom and guidance, especially concerning meeting together for worship.
• All officials involved will love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus, and choose to follow Him.

For more information on the persecuted Church in Iran, click here.

New developments in case of Iranian pastor sentenced to death

Youcef Nardharkhani and his wife

Last month, Youcef Nardarkhani, an Iranian pastor convicted of apostasy for leaving Islam, had his death sentence for apostasy upheld and confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

On July 3, Pastor Youcef’s lawyer reported that his case was being returned to the Revolutionary Tribunal of Gilan Province and that the Supreme Court would annul the sentence if Youcef renounced his faith.

Iranian Christians are emphasizing, however, that reports indicating Pastor Youcef’s case has already been annulled are misleading, as the annulment is dependent on him recanting his faith and embracing Islam (sources include Middle East Concern, Mohabat News and Present Truth Ministries).

Pastor Youcef thus remains at serious risk of execution and continues to face extreme pressure to deny Christ.

The Revolutionary Tribunal has been instructed to give Youcef more time in which to recant his faith in Jesus, which suggests that while the death sentence remains against him it may not be as imminent as first thought. There remains some uncertainty, however, as Pastor Youcef’s lawyer has yet to receive written confirmation of the death sentence verdict.

You can help by praying!

• Pray Pastor Youcef will be exonerated and released.
• Pray he will continue to find encouragement and strength in Christ in prison.
• Pray Iranian officials operating in corrupt and oppressive ways will repent of their actions and come to embrace Christ as Lord.
• Pray Christians in Iran will set their minds on Christ as they serve Him amid opposition (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Iranian Christian held in solitary confinement

Farshid Fathi

Friends and family of a detained Iranian Christian are calling for clarification of his case more than five months after he was sent to Tehran's notoriously brutal Evin prison, reports Release International and Mohabat News.

Farshid Fathi, 32, was one of several believers detained by government security officials in December 2010 during a series of raids on Christians' homes in Tehran. He has endured months of solitary confinement even though no court orders or instructions have been issued in his case. Interrogators have reportedly used psychological torture in attempts to force Farshid to reveal details of Christian contacts.

Farshid's wife and two young children have been allowed to speak to him only once a week. Farshid's family was forced to sell his father-in-law's home in order to survive financially and have not been able to pay the bail to secure his release.

You can help Farshid Fathi by praying!

• Pray God will strengthen and console Farshid as he suffers for his faith.
• Pray his family will trust in the Lord for provision and comfort.
• Pray the steadfast faith of Iranian believers will encourage other Christians in the country who are suffering persecution.
• Pray the Word of the Lord will continue to go forth in Iran and that many will come to embrace Him as Lord.

Concerns for imprisoned Turkmenistan pastor

Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev
(Photo ASSIST New)

Friends of Turkmenistan Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev are increasingly concerned about his health in the Seydi Labour Camp, they told Forum 18 News Service.

Pastor Nurliev, who leads Light to the World Protestant Church in the town of Mary east of Ashgabad, was arrested in August 2010. He was given a four-year labour camp term in October 2010 with "forcible medical treatment" on charges of swindling.

His community insists the charges were fabricated to punish him for his religious activity, as he had tried in vain to register his church. In December 2010, he was transferred to the Seydi Labour Camp.

Nurliev, a 46-year-old grandfather of two, suffers from diabetes and had regular treatment before his imprisonment. The labour camp administration will only allow treatment for him if he has a certificate from the hospital, but the hospital will only give such a certificate if he comes in person. The camp administration has refused to put Nurliev in the Camp's medical unit.

Adding to the family's difficulties, Nurliev's wife Maya lost her job at a local firm in March, after she took unpaid leave to travel. Authorities have applied heavy pressure, including threats of dismissal from employment, against Maya and other church members.

Also, Maya had been denied any opportunity to ensure Nurliev himself received the diabetic medicines he needed since his August 2010 arrest.

Police have again been pressuring members of Nurliev's church, asking them if his wife Maya is gathering them for worship services or meetings. "Church members have been summoned," Protestants who asked not to be identified for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18. "Police warned them: if we find out the church has been meeting, we'll do the same to you as we did to Ilmurad.”

Under Turkmenistan's harsh Religion Law, all unregistered religious activity is illegal. Communities which function without registration face the constant threat of police raids, threats and punishments.

Jailed for showing a film about Jesus

Bhutan means "Land of the Dragon."

Think about all the films you’ve watched in your lifetime. How many, if you had to guess, had a Christian theme or presented some angle of Jesus’ life on earth? Countless, no doubt. When thinking about what Jesus might look like, who in the Western world hasn’t thought of Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, George Steven’s The Greatest Story Ever Told or Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ?

And, whom among us thought twice about watching those films or ones like them?

Last month, VOM sources reported that a Bhutanese Christian was sentenced to three years imprisonment for "attempting to promote civil unrest" by showing films about Christianity.

Prem Singh Gurung, a 40-year-old ethnic Nepalese citizen living in southern Bhutan, was detained while showing Christian films in the Gonggaon and Simkharka villages. A court in Gelephu, reportedly said Gurung had violated Sections 105(1) and 110 of the Bhutan Information, Communication and Media Act, requiring authorities to screen all films before public presentation.

Bhutan is one of the world’s least evangelised nations. Proselytism and incitement to convert are illegal. Bhutanese officials are reportedly defending Prem’s sentencing, saying that although they respect the freedom of religion, “no person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement."

This past Friday, police attempted to arrest two more Christians for involvement in showing a film about Jesus. The two Christians were not found and were still in hiding, said advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC), which closely monitors the case.

Please continue to pray for our Bhutanese brothers and sisters who make up less than 1 percent of the country’s predominately Buddhist population. Pray for true spiritual liberation and for growth of the Church in this land.