Iran: court hearing for Christians
Iranian Christians request prayer for the forthcoming court hearing for Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, his son Ramiel (pictured) and other Christians arrested at a picnic in Firuzkuh in August 2016. On 26th December 2014 security officials raided the house of Pastor Victor...
Turkey: expropriation of Armenian church halted
Christians in Turkey are thankful that the Turkish Council of State has reportedly halted the confiscation of Surp Giragos, the largest Armenian church in the Middle East. Surp Giragos (along with the properties of the Protestant Church, Surp Sarkis Chaldean Church,...
Sudan: fatal stabbing of church elder
Christians in Sudan request prayer against ongoing attempts to seize church property, which led to the fatal stabbing of a church elder on 3rd April. Against the wishes of the church denomination, the government has imposed an illegal committee on the Sudan...
Iran: updates on three cases
Iranian Christians request prayer for three ongoing cases involving Christians in which there have been recent developments. EBRAHIM FIROUZI: Ebrahim Firouzi’s mother has undergone surgery for cancer and is weak and unable to care for herself. She is having...
MEC publishes 2016 Annual Report
Middle East Concern (MEC) was established in 1991 to defend the religious freedom of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa. Since that time MEC has published Annual Reports only for MEC member organisations and member individuals. However, for the first time...
Iran: Christian mother and son arrested in Urmia
On 20th February two Christian converts were arrested in Urmia (pictured), the capital of West Azerbaijan province in Iran. The home of Anousheh Reza-bakhsh (known as Veronika) and her son Soheil Zagarzadeh Sani (known as Augustine) was raided by Revolutionary Guard...
Egypt: 3 more Christians killed, over 100 Christian families flee al-Arish
On 20th February Middle East Concern requested prayer after four Christians were killed in the North Sinai town of al-Arish in three weeks. Unfortunately three more Christians were killed in the following days. Saeed al-Hakim and his son Medhat were killed on 23rd...
Sudan: Christian pardoned, two still imprisoned
Petr Jasek, one of the Christians who received lengthy prison sentences in Sudan on 29th January, has been given a presidential pardon and left Sudan on 26th February. The court had sentenced Mr Jasek to life in prison for espionage, to six months in prison for...
Egypt: four Christians killed, threatening video published
Christians in Egypt request prayer after the killing of four Christians in the last three weeks, and after the publication on 19th February of a video calling for further killings. Wa'el Youssef was shot dead by militants in front of his wife and son in his shop in...
Turkey: court blocks deportation order for Christian worker
Christians in Turkey are delighted that the deportation order and entry ban against Christian worker David Byle have been blocked by Turkey’s Constitutional Court. David, with dual US and Canadian citizenship, has been resident in Turkey for 17 years but has faced...
Turkey: US Congress members appeal for release of American pastor
On 16th February leaders of the US Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees sent a letter* signed by 78 members of Congress to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey seeking the unconditional release of American pastor Andrew Brunson. Andrew has...
Iran: update on Firuzkuh Christian converts
On 13th February MEC requested prayer for Amin Nader Afshar and Hadi Askary, Christian converts in Evin Prison (pictured) in Tehran. We are glad to report that, after a meeting with the Head of the Iran Attorney General’s office, they have ended their hunger strike to...