Iran: Christian convert receives three year prison sentence
Iranian Christians request prayer after Christian convert Ismaeil Maghrebinejad received a three-year prison sentence for “insulting Islamic sacred beliefs.” Ismaeil (65) was arrested in Shiraz on 25 January 2019 and charged initially with “propaganda against the... read more
Iran: Annual Report on Rights Violations Released
Middle East Concern, in collaboration with Open Doors International, Article 18 and CSW has released the 2019 report on violations of the rights of Christians in Iran. During 2019, Iranian Christians, along with other religious minorities, continued to suffer multiple... read more
Algeria: Another church closed by government
Algerian Christians request prayer for a church in the city of Oran after a court ordered its closure on 12 January 2020. Twelve churches affiliated with the EPA (Église Protestante d’Algérie), the umbrella organisation for Protestant churches, have been ordered... read more
Iran: Assyrian Christian to start prison sentence
Friends and family of Ramiel Bet Tamraz request prayer as he has been summoned to Evin Prison Tuesday (7 January) to serve a prison sentence. On 26 August 2016 Ramiel, a Christian from an ethnic Assyrian background, was arrested with four Christian convert friends... read more
Iran: three converts start their sentences in Eghlid prison
Iranian Christians request prayer for Asghar Salehi, Mohammadreza Rezaei and one other Christian convert from Fars Province, who are each serving six-month prison sentences on account of their faith and Christian activity. On 18 September 2018 Iranian intelligence... read more
Palestine: Update – Israel reconsiders restrictions on movements of Gazan Christians during Christmas
Christians in Israel and Palestine are grateful that the Israeli authorities have reconsidered a directive restricting Gazan Christians from visiting family and friends in the West Bank and Israel over the Christmas holiday season. Yesterday (22 December) the... read more
Palestine: Israel restricts movements of Gazan Christians during Christmas
Christians in Israel and Palestine request prayer after Israel issued a directive restricting Gazan Christians from visiting family and friends in the West Bank and Israel over the Christmas holiday season, citing security concerns. The coordinator of government... read more
Iran: Updates to recent prayer requests
On 11 and 12 November, Middle East Concern requested prayer for Ebrahim Firouzi, who is serving two years’ internal exile, and for two court hearings, one for Ismaeil Maghrebinejad and the other for Assyrian Pastor Victor bet Tamraz, his wife Shamiram Issavi Khabizeh,... read more
Syria: Call for prayer following murders of Christians
The Middle East Council of Churches is leading calls for renewed prayer for Syria, following the murder of a church leader and his father in a spate of violence in the northeast of the country on 11 November. Father Hovsep Bedoyan, priest of the Mar Yousef Armenian... read more
Iran: Appeal hearing for pastor Victor and four more Christians
Iranian Christians request prayer for an appeal hearing, scheduled for 13 November, at which the sentences given to five Iranian Christian believers will reviewed. The hearing will combine three long-standing related cases. The first involves Assyrian Pastor Victor... read more
Iran: Ebrahim Firouzi goes into internal exile
Friends of Christian convert Ebrahim Firouzi request prayer as he is now on his way to Sarbaz on the border with Pakistan to spend two years in exile there as part of a sentence he received in 2013. Ebrahim was released from Rajaei Shahr prison in Karaj on 26 October... read more