Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Iran: Temporary release of a detainee, arrested at Christmas in Church of Ahwaz

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries


AHWAZ, IRAN (ANS) -- Following an attack by security authorities on the Assemblies of God (AOG) church of Ahwaz, which resulted in the arrest of the pastor of the church and three other ministers including the pastor's wife, Mrs. Shahnaz Jeizan has now been temporarily released after providing bail.

Mrs. Shahnaz Jeizan
According to reporters of the Iranian Christian News Agency, Mohabat News

(www.mohabatnews.com), Mrs. Shahnaz Jeizan, Pastor Farhad Sabokroh's wife was temporarily released on bail on the first day of 2012 after 10 days in custody.

“She had been transferred to the custody center of the intelligence office of Ahwaz to be interrogated together with her husband and two other ministers of the church,” said the story.

Khuzestan province – Ahwaz

The temporary release of Pastor Sabokroh's wife took place shortly after Mohabat News published a series of articles on the internet regarding the concern of the Iranian Christian community over this incident and the unknown condition of these detainees.

Mrs. Jeizan was arrested during the attack on the AOG church of Ahwaz by security authorities on December 23, 2011. Everyone in attendance at the church including children were arrested during that raid as well.

Knowledgeable sources told Mohabat News that the whereabouts and conditions of Pastor Sabokroh and two ministers, Naser Zamen-Dezfuli and Davoud (David) Alijani, are still unknown.

“It should be remembered that when security authorities attacked the AOG church of Ahwaz on 23 December 2011, everyone in attendance at the weekly service were arrested and transferred to an unknown location by bus,” the story continued.

“Reports of the incident indicate that security authorities had their faces covered and treated the Sunday school children of the church badly as they arrested them. This deeply injured these children's minds.

“After some hours, most attendees who were arrested at the Christmas celebrations were freed but their personal information including addresses were recorded by security officials.”


Dan Wooding, 71, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books, one of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.



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