Iranian Pastor Beaten in front of his Flock and Family

January 19, 2011 — On April 14, 2010, Brother Behnam Irani, Pastor of a small church in Karaj, Iran, was leading service when it was interrupted by the Iranian secret police. He was brutally beaten in front of his family and congregation, then arrested. The believers were detained for questioning then released, while Brother Behnam was released on bail a short time later. At his trial was last Sunday, January 16, 2011, he was charged with "Action against the Order" (government) and sentenced to one year in prison. He has 20 days in which to appeal the ruling before he begins his sentence.

Earlier this month the charge of apostasy against brother Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani was withdrawn and his charges are likely to include Action against National Security by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Brother Matthias Haghnejad, from Anzali, Iran, faces the same charge and will stand trial at the end of February.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which is a part of the US State Department, reports, "They were informally accused of being 'evangelical missionaries,' although no formal charges have been filed by authorities. Iranian law makes proselytizing of Muslims by non-Muslims illegal, in contravention of international standards. Reports indicate that as many as 70 Christians have been detained over the past two weeks . . . This week, the governor of Tehran, Morteza Tamaddon, called the detained Christians 'deviant' and 'corrupt' and vowed to identify and detain more in the days ahead."

Please commit these matters to prayer; write your Member of Parliament, Congress or the media, sign this which names other persecuted Brethren in Iran, and e-mail or Fax the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, His Excellency the President, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, requesting the release and remission of all charges against these loyal Iranians desiring freedom of worship as guaranteed under the Iranian Constitution.

ENDS

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