Tag Archives: Iran

Two Christian Pastors Persecuted In Iran Get Six More Years In Prison

Two Christian pastors and a deacon will be spending the next six years in some of Iran’s most desolate prisons because of their Christian faith.

Pastors Benham Irani and Matthias Haghnejad along with deacon Silas Rabbani will be taken to prisons as far away from family and friends as the Iranian government can take them after convictions on trumped-up charges to justify the government’s campaign of hate against Christians.

“We are deeply concerned by the six-year sentences given to pastors [Benham] Irani and [Matthias] Haghnejad and deacon Silas Rabbani, and the fact that they will serve these sentences so far from their families and home towns,” said Christian Solidarity Worldwide Chief Operating Officer Andy Dipper.

“We are particularly appalled by the extra six years given to pastor Irani, who has already endured ill-treatment whilst in prison and now faces nearly a decade in prison on trumped-up charges. We urge the Iranian government to release without delay every person who is imprisoned for their faith. Their incarceration contravenes international covenants guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief, to which Iran is party.”

The government claims the Christian men were taking “action against the state” and “action against the order” along with Pastor Irani being accused of “spreading corruption on Earth.”  He could have received the death penalty on the last charge.

Iranian Nuclear Plant Explosion Kills 2

An Iranian “nuclear expert” is among two people killed after a major explosion at a nuclear plant.

Iran’s official news agency confirmed the blast, saying that it took place around 10 a.m.  in an “explosive materials production unit.”   Witnesses reported hearing the explosion several miles from the blast site.

The location is one that Iranian officials have refused to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit since 2005.  It is thought to be one of the locations where Iran is continuing to work on development of a nuclear bomb.

Israeli Internal Security Minister Yuval Steinitz told journalists last month that Israel had obtained reliable information the plant was carrying out secret tests on technology that could only be used for the detonation of a nuclear weapon.

Iran has been stalling in nuclear talks with western powers over its illegal nuclear program.  The deadline for a permanent deal is set to be November 24.

Meriam Ibrahim Encourages Naghmeh Abedini At National Conference

Two women who have been on the front lines of the battle for religious freedom in the world took center stage at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.

Meriam Ibrahim, the woman who had been sentenced to death in Sudan for her Christian faith, appeared to accept the “Cost of Discipleship” award at the Summit and used her speech to encourage the wife of American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith.

“Do not fear; be strong. Take care of your kids and the Lord will be with you,” she said to Naghmeh Abedini, who addressed the Summit in her own address.  Ibrahim called Abedini “her sister” and encouraged her to stand strong no matter what evil the Iranians may throw her husband’s way.

Ibrahim, who gave birth to her daughter Maya while shackled in chains to a wall of the prison, spoke of the weight the imprisonment had on her young son Martin, who was also kept in the prison.

“That was the most difficult time for me because Martin would want to go with him and grab on to him and I would stand there unable to do anything because he’s a child. He didn’t understand why he was in jail through no fault of his. He didn’t understand why kids were able to play outside and enjoy themselves and be with their parents, their fathers and mothers,” described Ibrahim.

Ibrahim thanked everyone who prayed and worked to obtain her release and her family’s escape from Sudan.

Imprisoned Pastor’s Wife Speaks Out On Second Anniversary

The wife of imprisoned American Pastor Saeed Abedini is speaking out about the lack of moment by the U.S. government on her husband’s behalf as he marks two years behind bars.

Naghmeh Abedini addressed the issue on Friday ahead of her speech Saturday at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.  She says that the Obama administration has gotten better about speaking about her husband’s plight over the years.

“They’ve come a long way,” said Naghmeh. “The first six months when Saeed was in prison there were no statements. The last year and a half we’ve seen a few statements.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last spoke of Saeed’s plight where he also called for the release of other Americans being held by Iranian authorities.

“The United States respectfully calls on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini, and Jason Rezaian to their families and work cooperatively with us to find Robert Levinson and bring him home,” said Kerry.  At the time, Kerry claimed the government was working hard to see the release of the prisoners.

Naghmeh Abedini is not so sure.

“I have to say it is frustrating. It has been two years. It seems like there are a lot of statements, but no action. What are we doing to get him home?” she said.

Naghmeh says that she has felt stronger support coming from countries other than the United States, which boosts her hope that her husband may soon be released from custody.

“It’s encouraging because now it just isn’t between the U.S. and Iran,” said Naghmeh. “It’s the whole world speaking out. Brazil, Canada, England and other European nations have been a great support.”

Prayer rallies for Saeed Abedini were held around the world Friday on the two-year anniversary with over 400 gatherings in countries from Brazil to Kenya.

United Nations Panel Slams Iran Over Abedini

A United Nations panel has slammed Iran for their continued imprisonment of Pastor Saeed Abedini for his Christian faith.

The Iranians have been firm in refusing to free the pastor before the end of an eight-year prison term for being a Christian.

United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says that the 34-year-old Abedini “has been deprived of his liberty for peacefully exercising the rights to freedom of religion, belief, and association.”

The report detailed all the issues surrounding the imprisonment of Abedini and called for his immediate release.

Saeed’s wife Naghmeh has been pleading with the White House and lawmakers to do something to free her husband from his wrongful imprisonment.  She hopes that the U.N. report will be a large step toward her husband’s release.

“There are times where your cause feels forgotten — but today is not one of those days,” Naghmeh told Fox News. “From the depths of my heart, I urge the member countries of the UN to act on the recommendations of this report. As these countries sit face-to-face with Iran during the upcoming UN General Assembly, I plead with them to ask for my husband’s release. It is time for our family to be re-united. My children need their father and I need my husband.”

The administration has been criticized for negotiating the release of potential traitor Bowe Bergdahl while doing virtually nothing to gain the release of Abedini from Iran.

Iranian Christian Pastor Facing Bizarre New Charge

An Iranian pastor who has been imprisoned for his faith is now facing the death penalty after he’s been charged with “spreading corruption on Earth.”  The charge has never been issued in the past and is not on the legal books in Iran.

Pastor Behnam Irani, who had been sentenced to six years in prison for being a Christian in 2011 and for leading a 300 member evangelical congregation in a suburb of the capital Tehran.

The pastor has been held in solitary confinement according to Iranian officials.  Somehow, he has been beaten by other prisoners according to jailers and is suffering from internal bleeding and other injuries.  Advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has confirmed the injuries.

“The charges leveled against Pastor Irani and other Christians are tantamount to an indictment of Christianity itself and mark a renewed escalation in Iran’s campaign against Persian Christians under the Rouhani presidency,” CSW Head Mervyn Thomas said in a statement.

CSW reported that five other Christians were arrested last week because of their faith and have been held in secret locations.

Secretary of State Kerry Calls On Iran To Release Abedini

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is making a strong public stand for imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini.

Kerry cited the hardship of Abedini’s family and the fact it’s almost two full years since Abedini has been wrongly imprisoned for his faith.

Kerry also spoke out about other Americans imprisoned in Iran.

“The United States respectfully calls on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to release Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini and Jason Rezaian to their family and work cooperative with us to find Robert Levinson and bring him home,” Kerry said.

Lawyers for Abedini say that he has been under death threat from ISIS terrorists within Iranian prisons.  The Islamist group sees Abedini as an emblem of western Christianity and his killing would be a seen as a symbol to Islamic terrorists.

Kerry Spotlights Pastor Saeed Abedini

Secretary of State John Kerry is highlighting the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini as an example of Christian persecution in the Middle East.

“In Iran, U.S. Iranian citizen Pastor Saeed Abedini remains imprisoned. The Iranian authorities sentenced him to eight years behind bars simply because of his religious beliefs. We will continue to call for his release and we will continue to work for it,” Kerry stated.

The American Center for Law and Justice, who has been working to get Pastor Abedini freed, released a statement saying they were thankful that the Secretary of State was finally paying real attention to the case.

Kerry was speaking about the State Department 2013 Report on International Religious Freedom.

“On several occasions, however, senior U.S. government officials, including the President and the Secretary of State, raised directly with their Iranian counterparts the case of Christian pastor and dual U.S.-Iranian national Saeed Abedini, who is being held on charges related to his religious beliefs, and called for his release,” the report states.  “The Department of State also publicly called for the release of Mr. Abedini and other prisoners held on religious grounds.”

Prayer vigils around the country are planned on September 26th, the two-year anniversary of Abedini’s unlawful imprisonment.

Iranian Christian Has Lips Burned For Eating During Ramadan

A Christian in Iran was ordered by a judge to have his lips burned with a cigarette after he did not fast during the month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan.

Ramadan requires all Muslims to fast from food and drink from sunrise to sundown.  The Islamic government of Iran is imposing those requirements on all citizens even if they are not Muslims according to sources within Tehran.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran released a statement condemning the actions saying it shows the way Iran targets Christians.

“The silence of the world community, especially of western countries, vis-à-vis these medieval punishments under the excuse of having nuclear talks with Iran has intensified the brutal and systematic violation of human rights in Iran. This will ultimately embolden the Iranian regime to continue its nuclear projects more than before,” read the statement from the France-based group.

Some Muslims within the city are welcoming the strict actions.  One Tehran resident lamented the way many residents of the city are not being as strict on the rules.

“In 1995, if someone had even a drop of water, everyone went and reported it and that person would get fired, or just scolded if they were lucky. Not any more, though. People are looking out for each other. I almost miss those days, though. It’s like people’s hearts just aren’t in religion anymore,” a man named Hamid told The Guardian newspaper.

Iranian Leader: Only Solution Is Israel’s Destruction

Iran’s supreme leader has been reported by Iran’s official news agency as saying the only way to achieve peace in Gaza is to destroy Israel.

The declaration came the same day that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said they have a new missile system that can completely destroy Israel’s Iron Dome system and leave them vulnerable to rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a group of college students Israel’s existence is the reason for the conflict in Gaza.

“These crimes which are beyond imagination and show the true nature of the wolfish and child killer regime, which the only solution is its destruction,” the ayatollah declared to his audience. “However, until that time, the expansion of the armed resistance of the Palestinians of the West Bank is the only way to confront this wild regime.”

He then attacked the U.S. and England for supporting Israel.

“We believe that the West Bank needs to be armed just like Gaza and those interested in the future of Palestine must become active in this field [guerrilla warfare] so that the suffering of the Palestinian people through their strength and their weakness due to the Zionist regime is reduced,” he said. “Some Western countries including America and filthy England defend with clarity the crimes that no ordinary person would. The President of America in the face of these child killings, destruction, torture and suffering of the people in Gaza, with a comical logic states that Israel has the right to defend itself! Don’t the Palestinians have the right to defend their lives and security?”