Source: www. csw.org.uk
Date: August 15, 2020
Earlier this year we asked you to pray with us for Christians unjustly imprisoned in Iran, all of whom were charged with national security crimes for normal church activities and are serving lengthy prison sentences. They were denied furlough at the time when 100,000 prisoners were released amidst fears of an outbreak in Iran’s prison system.
We’re so grateful for your prayers as we’ve worked with policy-makers and politicians to raise significant concerns about the increased risk they faced.
Sadly, this week we received news that one of the Christians in Evin prison in Tehran for whom we’ve been praying and campaigning has tested positive for COVID-19.
Yasser Mosayebzadeh is one of 12 prisoners in Ward 8 to test positive for COVID-19 this week and is reported to be seriously ill. Nasser Navard Goltape and Saheb Fadaie have reportedly displayed COVID-19 symptoms but according to our sources have not tested positive. Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who is also imprisoned in Ward 8, is believed not to be showing symptoms but is at risk, given the outbreak in the Ward. It is unclear whether or not he has been tested.
Conditions in Ward 8 are over-crowded, with inadequate medical care. Social distancing is not possible and insufficient protection measures have been put in place by prison authorities. A group of prisoners reportedly staged a sit-in at the prison to protest the inadequate protection measures and medical care.
There is also concern for Mr Navard Goltape, aged 59, who remains in his crowded cell despite having a fever for the last week.
Mohammadreza Omidi, who was arrested and sentenced with Pastor Nadarkhani, Mr Navard Goltape and Mr Fadaie, remains in prison despite having served the entirety of his sentence.
As we pray, we stand on the words in Psalm 27 that we are, ‘still confident of this: [they] will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living’, and our prayer is that every Christian imprisoned in Iran would ‘Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord’.
In summary, please pray:
- For complete healing for Yasser Mosayebzadeh after who is very gravely ill and had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, and for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, for Nasser Navard Goltape and Saheb Fadaie who have reportedly shown COVID-19 symptoms.
- For Pastor Nadarkhani who is believed not to show any symptoms, but who remains at risk given the overcrowding and lack of protection measures in place on Ward 8.
- For protection for Mohammadreza Omidi and 10 other Christians imprisoned in different wards of Evin prison.
- That the Iranian authorities would release all the Christian prisoners of conscience wrongly imprisoned, and would bring an end to its campaign of harassment and targeting of the Christian community.