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Published On: Thu, Jul 10th, 2014

Iran arrestes three more Christians, Mohammad Roghangir, Suroush Saraie, Pastor Matthias Haghnejad

Three more Christians have been arrested in Iran after a raid on a Pastor’s home and now all sentenced to years in prison.
 
“Iranian Christians Mohammad Roghangir, Suroush Saraie and Pastor Matthias Haghnejad were arrested by the security forces at the pastor’s home in Bandar-Anzali,” reports Independent Catholic News on July 9.
 
Photo/Vectorportal via wikimedia commons

Photo/Vectorportal via wikimedia commons

Their article details how Bibles were confiscated by security forces and a Human Rights Activist News Agency reports that pamphlets and a personal computer owned by the pastor were also taken.

 
“Pastor Matthias has been targeted regularly by the Iranian regime and has been imprisoned on three other occasions,” reported the Catholic news service. “Mohammad Roghangir and Suroush Saraie were part of a group of seven Christians who were initially arrested on October 12, 2012, when security forces raided a prayer meeting. The group was sentenced on July 16, 2013, after being found guilty of “action against the national security” and “propaganda against the order of the system.” 
 
Roghangir was sentenced to six years imprisonment, while Suroush Saraie received two and half years. Both sentences were upheld on appeal.
 
 Chief Executive of CSW has said the organisation is “deeply concerned” by the latest developments.
 
“These men have been targeted by the Iranian authorities in the past,” said Mervyn Thomas, chief executive officer of CSW, “and despite the political charges being levied against them, they were clearly arrested on account of their faith.”
 
“We urge the Government of Iran to halt its harassment and imprisonment of religious minorities and to uphold freedom of religion or belief, as outlined in covenants to which Iran is party. In addition, the international community must hold Iran to account for the wellbeing of prisoners of conscience.”
 
“Iran has a long history of human rights abuses,” writes Carey Lodge of Christian Today. “Violence is rapidly escalating across the country, propelled by laws which allow the legal persecution of minority communities such as Christians and Baha’i Muslims, who have been condemned by Iranian authorities as an ‘illegal cult.’ Christian converts are forbidden from praying in public churches and American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is serving an eight year prison sentence for ‘threatening the security of the state,’ remains in jail in Iran for his involvement in developing home church communities.”
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About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

Displaying 2 Comments
Have Your Say
  1. MKhattib says:

    After one year of Hassan Rouhani, the world knows who he is with over 800 executions taking place, foreign adventures in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, and arrests for things as trivial as posting on Facebook or making viral World Cup videos. Mr. Moderation is really Mr. Hardline. Check out his resume at http://www.hassan-rouhani.info and this infographic.

  2. Randall Dighton says:

    Please convey to the reporter from Christian Today that there are no “Baha’i Muslims.” Although Baha’is recognize Muhammad as a Messenger of God, the Baha’i Faith is an independent religion. Otherwise you could have “Christian Jews,” “Muslim Christians,” etc.

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