Iran: Christians released early from prison
Iranian Christians are thankful that Sasan Khosravi and Habib Heydari have been released early from Bushehr Central Prison. Habib and Sasan were arrested with others (mainly family members) in Bushehr in south Iran on 1 July 2019. In June 2020, seven of those arrested...
Iran: Released pastor rearrested on old charges
Iranian Christians request prayer for pastor Abdolreza (Matthias) Haghnejad and his family after he was rearrested to serve a sentence that had been overturned in 2014. Matthias was released from Anzali Prison near Rasht on 30 December after the Iranian Supreme Court...
Libya: Authorities act against Christmas celebrations
Christians in Libya request prayer due to continued anti-Christian actions on part of the authorities. At the end of December, the ministry of interior issued a warning to citizens "not to celebrate Christmas on New Year’s eve,“ which apparently the authorities think...
Northern Cyprus: Court hearing postponed
On the evening of 9 January, Ryan Keating was informed that his court hearing scheduled for the following day had been postponed to 16 February. He was not told the reason for the postponement. The hearing is in relation to new charges concerning a large number of...
North Cyprus: New charges brought against Ryan Keating
Christians in Cyprus request prayer for a court hearing in Famagusta on 10 January. Ryan Keating faces new charges related to the Christian material confiscated during a raid on business premises that also serve as their church meeting place. In January 2021 Police...
Iran: Christian convert granted Christmas leave
Iranian Christians are surprised that a convert has been allowed leave from prison for Christmas/New Year in accordance with an announcement from the head of the judiciary that Christian prisoners would be granted 10 days’ leave. On 26 December, the head of Iran's...
Iran: Temporary release of converts from Rasht
Iranian Christians are encouraged that, after the release of Pastor Matthias (Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad) from Anzali Prison on 30 December, eight other Christian converts from Rasht held in Evin Prison were released on 1 January pending a review of their sentences. The...
Iran: Convert from Karaj summoned to court
Prayer is requested for Christian convert Rokhsareh (Mahrokh) Ghanbari (62), from Karaj, who has been summoned to Karaj Revolutionary Court to face new charges of propaganda against the regime. In August 2019 Makrokh was mentioned by then US vice president Pence when...
Iran: Pastor released from prison
Iranian Christians thank the Lord that Pastor Matthias (Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad) was released from Anzali Prison, near Rasht, pending a review of his conviction. Matthias is one of nine Christian converts arrested in Rasht in January and February 2019. In October 2019...
Iran: Prosecutor decides against charging converts
Iranian Christians are encouraged that the public prosecutor of the fourth branch of the Civil and Revolutionary Court of Dezful has given a written decision on why eight Christian converts will not be charged with any crime. Hojjat Lotfi Khalaf, Esmaeil Narimanpour,...
Algeria: Continued prayer needed for appeal
Algerian Christians request continued prayer for Foudhil Bahloul as he appeals a 1 December 2021 appeal court verdict sentencing him to a six months suspended prison sentence and a 100,000 DZD fine (approx US $750). Foudhil, a Christian from a Muslim background, had...
Iran: Supreme Court to review converts’ prison sentences
Iranian Christians are encouraged that today (24 November) the high court in Tehran notified the lawyer representing nine Christian converts from Rasht that their five-year prison sentences were under review. They were arrested in four separate raids during a...