ICC Note: Three more Christians in Iran have been violently arrested in their homes and sent to Evin Prison. The three men had already received a sentence of 10 years for propagating house churches and promoting Christianity. One of the men faces an additional 2 years of internal exile in the south of Iran; his home is in Iran’s far north. These arrests come as the church is facing an increase of pressure by the authorities who view Christianity as a threat to the regime.       

07/26/2018 Iran (MEC) –  Friends of Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Mohammadreza Omidi and Saheb Fadaie request prayer following the arrest of Mohammadreza and Saheb at their homes yesterday evening (24 July) and of Yasser today (25 July). This follows the arrest of their pastor, Yousef Nadarkhani on 22 July.

On 6 July, 2017, pastor Yousef, along with fellow converts, Mohammadreza, Yasser and Saheb, were each sentenced to ten-years imprisonment for propagating house churches and promoting “Zionist Christianity”. Yousef and Mohammadreza were also sentenced to two years’ internal exile. Both will serve this sentence in the south of Iran, far away from their families in Rasht.

Following a court appeal in December 2017, a decision upholding the sentences was delivered to the lawyer representing the four men in May. Normally, once a prison sentence is upheld in the appeal courts, an officials summons is issued for the prison sentence to start. None of the men had received such a summons before their arrest.

The violent arrest of Yousef Nadarkhani on 22 July has been reported widely in the press. Around ten police officers arrived at the house and physically assaulted Yousef’s son when he opened the door to them. Both Yousef and his son were tasered, despite offering no resistance. The manner of their arrest was probably an attempt to intimidate the Christian community, but their friends report that the church has not given in to fear.

Yasser, Mohammadreza and Saheb have been taken to Evin Prison in Tehran to join pastor Yousef, who has been put in a “quarantine” ward normally used as a place of punishment.

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