Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: March 19, 2022
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:1-2)
At the start of the year, we asked you to pray for nine Iranian Christians who had been released from prison, pending a review of their sentences.
Today, we give thanks that all nine were acquitted of unfounded national security charges on 28 February – thank you for praying!
We celebrate this answer to prayer, but we also remember that one of these men, Pastor Matthias Haghnejad, is still not free.
Pray for Pastor Matthias
Pastor Matthias was among the nine Christians acquitted of ‘endangering state security’ and ‘promoting Zionism’ last month. He was initially released on 30 December 2021, but was re-arrested just 16 days later on different charges.
These charges had originally been brought against him and dismissed in an appeal in 2014. However, a judge overturned that decision, and the pastor faces six years in prison if convicted.
Please join us in praying for the release of this innocent man, as well as all others who have been targeted with trumped-up national security charges in Iran.
As our Founder President Mervyn Thomas said, ‘Belonging to a non-majoritarian religion or belief should not be criminalised.’
In summary, please pray:
- For Pastor Matthias Haghnejad’s immediate and unconditional release, and that all charges against him will be dropped.
- Giving thanks for the freedom of the eight other Christian converts who were acquitted in February.
- That the Iranian authorities will cease their harassment of all religious minorities, and instead protect their right to peacefully practise their faith.
P.S. Many of you will have seen the news that British-Iranian citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori have been released after more than ten years combined of being unjustly detained in Iran. Although they were not arrested because of their beliefs, their cases illustrate how Iran uses unjust detention on unfounded charges to violate human rights.