an unknown location, church sources said Wednesday September 15. 47-year old Hamid Pourmand from Bandar-i Bushehr of the Assemblies of God has been unable to contact his family after a police raid on a general meeting of his denomination in Karaj, 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of the capital Tehran, Compass news agency and other church officials said.
The nine other church leaders and about 70 other Assemblies of God representatives detained last week were still free on Wednesday, but human rights watchers have expressed concern about police surveillance.
"Since being released, they have had no contact with other evangelical Christians because of the intense police surveillance," reported the Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM), which is investigating the plight of persecuted believers worldwide.
NO REASON GIVEN
"As of last report, those who had been detained were given no reason for their arrests. They reportedly faced intense questioning about themselves and the other pastors," VOM added.
Pastor Pourmand converted from Islam twenty-five years ago and is married with two children, Compass news agency said. VOM and other organizations have expressed concern about the situation, amid fears of a new crack down against evangelical Christians in the Islamic nation.
It urged its supporters to "pray for protection for Pastor Pourmand" and to "pray for peace and strength for his wife and children."
The organization stressed it was important to "pray for the continued ministry of Evangelical churches in Iran, despite the intense opposition."
GOVERNMENT EXECUTION
Since a government ordered execution of convert pastor Hussein Soodmand in December 1990, Iran has stepped up its attacks against the country’s evangelical churches and others accused of evangelizing, Compass said.
Iran, described by critics as "the world’s only theocracy" is strictly enforcing Islamic law. Anyone who leaves Islam is subject to the death penalty, human rights watchers say.
