ICC Note: Three more Christian prisoners in Iran have been released from jail. Originally arrested in October 2012, the three had started serving prison sentences in 2014. Of the six originally arrested, four have now been released and two still remain in prison. Iran continues to regularly harass and imprison Christians, particularly those from a Muslim background who convert to Christianity and meet with others who share their faith.

12/07/2015 Iran (Middle East Concern) – Greetings in the name of Jesus.

Iranian Christians are pleased to announce that three prisoners have recently been released from Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz, Iran.

MEC reported the release of Suroush Saraie on 11th November. It is now known that fellow prisoners Mehdi Ameruni, Seyed Bijan Farokhpour Haghigi and Eskander Rezai have also been set free. Officially, they have been granted temporary leave from prison. However, they have been led to believe that they will not be summoned to return to prison. Official confirmation that this is the case is still awaited.

Mohammad (Vahid) Roghangir, Suroush Saraie, Mehdi Ameruni, Massoud Rezai, Seyed Bijan Farokhpour Haghigi and Eskander Rezai were arrested when a prayer meeting in Shiraz was raided on 12th October 2012 as part of a campaign of intimidation by Iranian authorities against Christians and other religious minorities. Following the rejection of an appeal against their sentences of between 1 and 3 years on charges of “action against national security” and “propaganda against the order of the system”, they were summoned to prison in 2014. Those arrested are affiliated with the self-styled “Church of Iran” network.

Of those originally arrested at the prayer meeting only Mohammad, the leader of the house church, and Massoud remain in prison.
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