Prayer is requested for Mehran Shamloui (37) who was arrested by Iranian security on his arrival in Mashhad after being deported from Türkiye on 3 July 2025. He had been apprehended in Istanbul while attempting to escape to Europe without valid documentation.
Mehran had been sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison – eight years for “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law” and two years for “membership of an opposition group” (house-church) – following his arrest in Tehran in November 2024. In connected raids on homes, two other Christians, Abbas Soori (48) and Narges Nasri (37), were also arrested. Abbas was sentenced to 10 years for “propaganda activities” and five for “membership of an opposition group,” while expectant mother Narges was handed down 10 years for “propaganda activities,” five for “membership of an opposition group” and an additional one year for “propaganda against the state” by showing support on social media for the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
An appeal against these severe sentences failed and all three Christians fled Iran while temporarily released on bail.
Aware that asylum-seekers in Türkiye face multiple restrictions[1] and have little hope of resettlement, Mehran attempted to travel on to Europe and was apprehended.
[1] Our joint report on The Plight of Iranian Christians Claiming International Protection in Türkiye can be downloaded from https://articleeighteen.com/reports/13404/
Prayer Points
Please pray for Narges and Abbas and that:
- God will strengthen and encourage Mehran after enduring many recent trials and that he will experience God’s abiding presence and comfort during imprisonment,
- Mehran will find brothers in Christ alongside him in prison,
- God will open doors for the resettlement of the many Christian asylum-seekers struggling to make ends meet in Türkiye,
- Iran will stop the criminalisation of Christians through charges of propaganda activities or membership of house-churches.
