On 8 February Zaman (Saheb) Fadaei was released from Evin Prison as part of a general pardon approved by Supreme Leader Khamenei in honour of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
IRNA, the state news agency, announced that “tens of thousands” of prisoners had been pardoned – with special reference to the many detained after the recent protests. It is hoped other Christian converts who have served a considerable part of their prison sentences will also be included in the pardon.
Saheb was arrested in May 2016 along with pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and Yousef’s wife Tina and two other Christian converts. In September 2016 he was sentenced to receive 80 lashes for drinking wine during communion – a sentence executed in November 2020 – and in June 2017 given a 10-year prison sentence for “acting against the national security through propagating house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity.”
After a review of the sentence, Saheb’s prison term was reduced to six years in June 2020.
Prayer Points
Friends of Saheb are delighted for him and his family and request prayer that:
- Saheb will have a blessed time reunited with his family
- Saheb will find work – he previously worked as a painter and decorator
- Other Christians, including pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, will be included in the pardon and released from prison
