Iranian Christians request prayer for two more Christian converts in prison: Naser Navard-Goltapeh and Ali Amini.
Naser was arrested, along with three Azerbaijani Christians, at a wedding party in June 2016. The Azerbaijanis were released on bail in November 2016 and returned to their home country. Following a court hearing on 23 May 2017 (which the Azerbaijani Christians did not attend), all four were sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on charges related to undermining national security through illegal house church activity. The sentence was upheld by appeals court Branch 36 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 12 November 2017. Naser is now serving his ten year sentence in Ward 8 of Evin Prison, Tehran.
Ali Amini was arrested at his workplace in Tabriz on 10 December 2017 and remains detained in Tabriz Central prison, although he has not yet been charged with any crime. Security agents raided his workplace, confiscating his laptop and mobile phone. Ali is the father of two small children and originally came to faith in Jesus Christ before the 1979 revolution.
Prayer Points:
Please pray that:
- The Lord will sustain and encourage Naser, Ali and their families.
- Ali will be released without being charged.
- Naser will not have to serve the full ten year sentence.
- The rights of Christians in Iran – whether members of Iran’s indigenous Christian communities or converts to Christianity – will be respected and upheld and that Christians would not need to fear serving long prison sentences on account of their Christian faith and practice.
