Iranian Christians request prayer for Saheb Fadaei and Fatimeh Bakhteri, who have received prison sentences of 18 and 12 months respectively for “spreading propaganda against the regime.”
Saheb and Fatimeh are members of the “Church of Iran” – a denomination with an unconventional interpretation of the Trinity. They were among a group of people arrested in Rasht at a house church on 25 May 2017.
On 22 September the lawyer representing Saheb and Fatimeh was informed of the court decision, following a court hearing earlier in the month. Saheb was additionally sentenced to 2 years’ internal exile in Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, close to the border with Afghanistan. It is written in the verdict that for Christians to claim that Jesus is Lord and that the Bible is their final authority can be perceived as an attack against Islam.
Saheb will not have to serve this latest prison sentence as he is already serving another sentence in Evin Prison, Tehran. Saheb, along with pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, Mohammadreza Omidi and Yaser Mosibzadeh, were each given 10-year prison sentences for propagating house churches and promoting “Zionist Christianity” after a hearing on 14 June 2017 at the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
The lawyer representing Saheb and Fatimeh is appealing the sentences.
Prayer Points
Iranian Christians request prayer that:
- The Lord will encourage and strengthen Saheb and Fatimeh, despite the injustices they face
- The appeal against the sentences will be successful
- The Lord will bless and use Saheb, Yousef, Mohammadreza and Yaser while they are held in Evin Prison
- The Iranian regime will stop targeting Christian converts and other minorities on account of their religious beliefs and related peaceful activities
