TEHRAN, Iran — Three Christians and a pastor were arrested in an attempt to intimidate the Christian community in Iran, according to advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC).
Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was arrested earlier this year for “propagating house churches” and promoting “Zionist Christianity.” Nadarkhani and the others, all converts from Islam, face long prison sentences away from their families, sources said.
“Please pray that the Lord will comfort and strengthen those arrested and their families and that the Christian community in Iran will trust the Lord and not be intimidated,” MEC’s statement read.
Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to change one’s religion and the freedom of religion.
Furthermore, Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution states that “the investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.”
Iran ranked 10th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2018 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. (MS)
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