Iranian Believer Released from Jail

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

TEHRAN, IRAN (ANS) -- An Iranian Christian news agency reports the release of a Christian believer after almost three months of detention by authorities.

Farsi Christian News Network (www.fcnn.com  ) says Davood Ali-J 

Davood Ali-Jani (David) [Photo courtesy FCNN].

ani (David) a 32 year old active member of the Church of “The Assembly of God” in Ahvaz, was seized by security agents at the church during a raid on Dec. 23.

FCNN says Davood was eventually allowed home on bail on Thursday, March 8.

According to FCNN, after the release of Mrs. Shahnaz Jizan, the wife of Pastor Farhad Sabokruh on the first day of the year following payment of US$ 200,000, it was hoped that the rest of those arrested would also be released. However, only Rev. Farhad Sabokruh, pastor of “The Assembly of God” Church, and Mr. Naser Zamen-Dezfuli, were released temporarily on about $200,000 bail for each of them on February 21.

FCNN states that on Friday, Dec. 23 at 11:00 local time, during the weekly service in the Church of The Assembly of God in the city of Ahvaz, which is the center of oil-rich province of Khuzestan and is located about 900 Km south-west of Tehran, a large number of State Security agents surrounded the building and raided the church, situated in Kianpars 3th street.

In its report, FCNN says: “All those present, including children attending their Friday school, were arrested, mobile phones confiscated, and the church building thoroughly searched by the plainclothes agents who refused to identify themselves.

“A number of computers, all Audio-Visual equipment, and hundreds of copies of Christian books, were seized and removed. Church attendees were relieved of their mobiles and taken on two buses to an unknown destination.”

FCNN reported that almost all detainees, after a thorough search and considerable verbal abuse, were released a few hours later.

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Release of Christian prisoner Vahik Abrahamian after enduring one year of captivity in Iran

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries


HAMEDAN, IRAN (ANS) -- Pastor Vahik Abrahamian, a 45-year-old Armenian Christian, was released from prison during the morning of Monday, August 29, 2011, after suffering greatly behind bars for a year, and has now rejoined his family.

Pastor Vahik Abrahamian pictured with his wife Sonia before they were arrested

According to the Farsi Christian News Network (www.fcnn.com), Pastor Abrahamian was arrested by security agents, together with his wife Sonia Keshish Avanessian, on Saturday September 4, 2010, in his home in Hamedan, which is believed to be among the oldest Iranian cities and one of the most ancient in the world.



Pastor Vahik and his wife, together with family friends, Arash and Arezou, were all held for 44 days in solitary confinement in the Iranian Ministry of Information's detention center.

"In this period all were subjected to intensive interrogation and severe mental and psychological torture without any permission to contact family or friends," a spokesperson for FCCN told the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

"They were then moved to the Hamedan prison's general ward and after eight months of ordeal they were proven not guilty in a court hearing and subsequently Sonia, Arash and Arezou were released on April 30, 2010, but Pastor Vahik was held back until now."
During his one year imprisonment, FCNN obtained reports of Pastor Abrahamian's poor health and also about the prison's "deplorable hygiene conditions which made family, friends and entire Christian community extremely concerned."

The FCCN spokesperson went on to say, "This anxiety was heightened upon the release of the three other prisoners. The Christian community worldwide, particularly the Iranian Christian community has been faithfully holding Pastor Vahik in prayers. The news of worldwide prayer was a cause of comfort and strength and encouragement for the immediate family in Iran and overseas.

"It is noteworthy to note that despite his obtaining citizenship in the Netherlands and the possibility of leading a comfortable life there, Pastor Vahik Abrahamian opted to return to his beloved country and he and his wife Sonia dedicated their efforts and meager resources to reach out and assist drug addicts and all sorts of abused people in the society.

"Vahik, having been miraculously touched by Christ his Lord and Savior, considered of utmost priority and privilege to reach out to the outcasts and down-casts of the society.

"It is ironic that the authorities, despite witnessing the pure motives, selfless attitude and indeed the wonderful result of Vahik and Sonia's sacrificial efforts, instead of offering support and assistance arrested him on February 2010 and held him on trumped-up charges in the infamous Evin prison for 53 days in solitary confinement and 5 days in the general ward.

"He was released after his family and friends posted a cash bail of 10 million Toomans pending his trial," added the FCCN spokesperson. "Vahik and Sonia had already moved out to Hamedan to live peacefully and serve the community away from the clutter of the capital and were indeed in their own home with one other couple when they were suddenly arrested."

An extended member of Vahik and Sonia Abrahamian's family has told FCNN that the whole family is "rejoicing" and "expressed their gratitude first to God for His gracious protection and intervention and secondly to the Christian family worldwide who have not ceased praying and advocating on their behalf."

"FCNN would like to add its thankfulness to all who have been raising awareness and prayers in churches and writing notes and letters of encouragement and support," stated the spokesperson. "Let's pray for other Christians still held in captivity particularly for Farshid Fathi who has been held in Evin prison for over six months.

"Vahik and Sonia have refrained speaking with anyone outside immediate family hence it has not been possible to ascertain his physical and emotional well-being.

"FCNN would like to ask all to pray for Vahik and Sonia's and Arash and Arezou's physical and emotional healing," concluded the spokesperson.

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Dan Wooding, 70, 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 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include 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.