Iran

Iran has secretly executed a Jewish-Armenian couple and three other persons, raising concerns about other religious minority prisoners in the strict Islamic nation, Iranian Christians and rights activists confirmed Sunday, March 27.

At least over 30 Christians who were recently detained remained behind bars in Iran Tuesday, February 22, but there were reports that scores of other believers were released after being held by security forces in several parts of the strict Islamic nation.

An Iranian court has told arrested evangelical Christians who may face execution on charges of apostasy that they "should be punished", but that their trial "has been postpone for April," a senior church official said Thursday, February 17.

According to the Iranian Christian News Agency (Mohabat News), 10 new Christians from the city of Dezful about to celebrate Christmas Eve with fellow Christians from Ahvaz and Andimeshk were arrested by security forces the day before Christmas.

Iranian Christian leaders called for a day of prayer following a new wave of arrests of believers with Muslim backgrounds in Tehran and other cities.

Last Christmas, the Iranian government began arresting Christians, raiding and ransacking their homes as they are taken to prison and interogation.

An Iranian Christian by name of Reza T. was temporarily freed from prison after posting a $15,000 bail, Worthy News has learned.

Several Christians in Iran prepared Wednesday, December 22, to spend Christmas behind bars, including at least two Iranian pastors who face the death penalty on charges of 'apostasy', or abandoning Islam.