Middle East

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 BosNewsLife Africa Service ASMARA/CAIRO (BosNewsLife)-- There was concern Tuesday, June 5, over the whereabouts of two Eritrean women who were among a group kidnapped in Cairo by men claiming to be police officers, underscoring the risks faced by Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, including Christians, rights activists said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- A court in Egypt on Saturday, June 2, sentenced ex-President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison for involvement in the killing of over 800 demonstrators during last year's uprising. He leaves behind a divided nation where minority Christians have expressed concerns about their future, amid growing influence of hardline Islamists.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Christian rights activists remained concerned Saturday about the plight of 12 Christians who were sentenced to life imprisonment in Egypt over sectarian violence that killed three people last year.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Egypt's minority Christians were on edge Thursday, May 23, as voting continued in the first open presidential election since last year's ouster of leader Hosni Mubarak, amid fresh fears that hardline Islamists hold the key to more power.

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.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Jailed Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who faces execution for converting from Islam to Christianity, will be soon without a lawyer as his defense attorney has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment, a church official told BosNewsLife late Tuesday, May 8.