Middle East

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Amid international pressure, Iran has acquitted "on all charges" two young women who were detained fourteen months ago "for their Christian faith and activities" and abandoning Islam, Iranian church officials confirmed Sunday, May 23.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (BosNewsLife)-- Saudi Arabia's security forces freed two German Christian girls kidnapped nearly a year ago in neighboring Yemen but the fate of their abducted parents, their infant brother and a British engineer remained unknown, officials and Christians said Tuesday, May 18.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iran's government has launched a massive crackdown on devoted Christians, including church leaders, as part of efforts to halt the growing Christian church in the Islamic nation, Iranian Christians and rights activists said Friday, April 23.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- Christian rights activists have condemned a decision to again postpone the trial of Mohammed al-Kammuni, who has been charged with killing six Christians in Upper Egypt. The trial was adjourned for the third consecutive time "without any reason being issued" and is scheduled to convene on May 16, said International Christian Concern (ICC), a major advocacy group.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- An Iranian pastor jailed for 54 days on charges of "converting Muslims" to Christianity, spent Easter in freedom this weekend after he was temporary released on bail along with several other believers, Iranian Christians and rights investigators said.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- The detained Assyrian pastor of an evangelical church in Iran has been tortured and told he may be executed for converting Muslims to Christianity and related charges, his wife and Christians with close knowledge about his situation said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- Minority Christians in Iraq anxiously awaited the outcome of a parliamentary vote testing the country's still fragile democracy Sunday, March 7, as suspected Islamic militants killed up to 30 people in the capital Baghdad and other areas of the troubled nation.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iranian Christians on Monday, March 1, were searching a Christian couple after they were detained by Iranian security forces for apparently leading an unauthorized house church, BosNewsLife learned.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical pastor and eight other Christians were behind bars in Iran Friday, February 26, after authorities closed their church as part of a new government crackdown on devoted Christians in the Islamic nation, rights investigators said

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in Iraq were mourning Thursday, February 25, members of two christian families who were killed in the northern city of Mosul.