Tag: Hassan Rouhani

US commission calls for Iranian Christians’ release after ‘new miscarriage of justice’

August 2, 2018 Iran Amir Saman Dashti, Church of Iran, Evin Prison, Hassan Rouhani, House churches, Human rights, Iran, Kermanshah, Mohammad Reza Omidi, Proselytism, Ramil Bet-Tamraz, Rasht, Religious freedom, Saheb Fadaie, USA, Victor Bet-Tamraz, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Youcef Nadarkhani

From left: Saheb Fadaie, Youcef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Mohammad Reza Omidi.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of an Iranian pastor and three of his church members, after they were taken to prison last week to serve ten-year sentences for “acting against national security” by “promoting Zionist Christianity” and running “house . . . Read More

Iran: Christians held in notorious Evin Prison ‘will never be the same’

February 28, 2018 Iran Evin Prison, Hassan Rouhani, Iran, Maryam Rostampour, Marziyeh Amirizadeh, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Trauma

The outside of the Evin prison in Tehran. Photo: Flickr/ SabzPhoto

There was hope among Iranian Christians that the mass protests earlier this year could effect change for them, but they continue to be harassed and imprisoned on spurious charges. An Iranian convert to Christianity, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, who recently lost his appeal against a 10-year sentence for “missionary activities”, was reportedly moved to . . . Read More

Iran: another Christian convert ‘arrested, beaten and told to renounce faith’

October 23, 2017 Iran Abdol-Ali Pourmand, Armenians, Assyrians, Converts, Dezful, Hassan Rouhani, Iran, Khuzestan, Mohammed Ali Torabi

An Iranian convert to Christianity has been arrested in the western city of Dezful, the fourth such convert arrested in the city in recent weeks. Abdol-Ali Pourmand was arrested on Saturday (21 October) after a raid on his home two days before, during which materials including Bibles and Christian CDs . . . Read More

Rash of sentences ‘shows government’s fear of growth of Christianity in Iran’

July 12, 2017 Iran Amin Afshar Naderi, Exile, Hassan Rouhani, Iran, Mohammad Reza Omidi, Rasht, Saheb Fadaie, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Youcef Nadarkhani

Four more Christians received lengthy jail sentences in Iran last week, it has emerged, taking the total number sentenced in the last month to 12. Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Saheb Fadaie, Mohammad Reza Omidi and Youcef Nadarkhani were each sentenced to ten years in prison. Omidi and Nadarkhani – a pastor who . . . Read More

As ‘Free Iran’ movement gathers in Paris, young Iranian Christians share challenges

June 30, 2017 Iran Hassan Rouhani, Youth

The Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran was closed in 2013.

Over 90 European and US faith leaders have signed a petition urging Western governments to make the plight of religious minorities central to any deal with Iran. The letter comes ahead of the annual Iranian opposition rally in Paris tomorrow (1 July), where tens of thousands of Iranians are expected . . . Read More

Why Iranian Christians are pinning hopes on ‘moderate’ Rouhani, despite human rights failures

May 19, 2017 Iran Amin Afshar Naderi, Armenians, Assyrians, Ayatollah Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran, Victor Bet-Tamraz

As Iranians head to the polls today (19 May) to vote for their next President, World Watch Monitor takes a look at President Hassan Rouhani’s first term in office and the potential impact of the election result for the country’s Christian minority. Hassan Rouhani was voted in four years ago, . . . Read More

Iranian pastor released after 5 years in jail

December 22, 2015 Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, Church of Iran, Farshid Fathi, Hassan Rouhani

An Iranian pastor has been released early from prison, just six months after he failed to appeal a sentence to an extra year in jail and 74 lashes for allegedly possessing two litres of alcohol in his prison cell. Farshid Fathi was serving a six-year prison sentence – extended to . . . Read More

Iran pastor Fathi’s appeal fails, against extra year in prison and 74 lashes

June 2, 2015 Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, Christmas, Church of Iran, Converts, Ebrahim Firouzi, Evin Prison, Farshid Fathi, Hassan Rouhani, Minorities, Prisons, Tehran

An Iranian pastor serving a six-year prison term has failed in his appeal against a further sentence of 74 lashes and an additional year in jail – for the alleged possession in his cell of two litres of alcohol. This latest news about Farshid Fathi was first reported by Iran-focused . . . Read More

Iran jails another 18 converts

May 22, 2015 Iran Ahmed Shaheed, Converts, Hassan Rouhani, House churches, Human rights, Iran

Another 18 Iranian converts to Christianity have been jailed during the past two months for “evangelism and establishing house churches”, reports Mohabat News. Between them, their sentences amount to 23 years and nine months in jail. Mansour Borji, spokesman for rights group Article 18, told Mohabat News that, although the . . . Read More

Iranian President’s broken promises to minorities

March 12, 2015 Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, Hassan Rouhani, UK

Christians in Iran are still regularly arrested, imprisoned and harassed despite President Hassan Rouhani’s promise of “justice” for religious minorities, according to a report launched March 10 at the UK Parliament. “All Iranian people should feel there is justice. Justice means equal opportunity. All ethnicities, all religions, even religious minorities, . . . Read More

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