Iran

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran has released a university student who spent eight months in prison for converting to Christianity, including "105 days in solitary confinement", Iranian Christians confirmed Monday, July 9.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Iran has notified jailed Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was sentenced to die for "apostasy", to prepare for fresh charges against him at a new trial in September, advocacy officials told BosNewsLife late Thursday, July 5.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Rights activists condemned on Tuesday, July 3, an Iranian court's ruling upholding the six-year prison sentence for evangelical pastor Farshid Fathi Malayeri on charges that critics linked to his Christian activities.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BAGHDAD, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran this month released at least four former Muslims who were detained because of their conversion to Christianity and Christian activities, according to friends and rights activists.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran has released Pastor Mehdi “Petros” Foroutan who served about one year in prison following a police crackdown on his and other house churches, a spokesman told BosNewsLife late Tuesday, June 12.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Evangelical Christians in Iran's capital Tehran were without a church building Sunday, June 10, after Iranian security forces closed it down as part of a wider crackdown, Iranian Christians and activists told BosNewsLife.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A devoted Christian couple who are active in an evangelical church have been detained near Iran's capital Tehran, but there whereabouts remain unknown, Christians told BosNewsLife Wednesday June 6.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- A major evangelical house church movement in Iran urged the international community Sunday, May 20, to help free its songwriter and devoted Christian Alireza Seyyedian who was sentenced to six years imprisonment for "threatening national security" and "propaganda".  

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Prominent Iranian house church pastor Behnam Irani is still beaten in his prison but less frequently, an official assisting him with advocacy said late Monday, May 14, just weeks after his family expressed concerns he may die.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who faces the death penalty for abandoning Islam and converting to Christianity, says he faces "a trial of faith" in a new letter attributed to him.