Church leaders in Iran arrested, imprisoned

Church leaders in Iran arrested, imprisoned

ZABOL, Iran — House-church leader Behnam Irani has been sentenced, along with two other Christian leaders, to six years in prison for their involvement in house churches in Iran.

Irani, Abdolreza Ali-Haghnejad and Reza Rabbani, all leaders in the Church of Iran, were sentenced Oct. 19 for “action against national security” and “creating a network to overthrow the system.” Human rights groups claim the justifications for sentencing are catch-all terms the Islamist government uses to suppress Christians and political opponents it perceives as threats.

When the verdict was handed down, Irani was already serving the remainder of a prior five-year sentence for his involvement with house churches.

Irani won’t be eligible for release until 2023, according to Middle East Concern.