Five Iranian Christians sentenced. Bibles Burned
Iranian authorities arrested five Christians, including a pastor, accusing them of “crimes against the Islamic law” and sentenced to 1 year in prison. Also, presumably, the authorities burned the Bibles of arrested, reports «Bos News Life».
Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khandjani, Mehdi Furutan, Mohammad Beliad, Parviz Khalaj and Nazly Beliad, who are members of the Church of Iran house church movement, were found guilty by the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, according to trial observers.According to human rights organization «Christian Solidarity Worldwide», arrested have 20 days to appeal the conviction.
Christians have told BosNewsLife that they also remain remains about another Church of Iran leader, Pastor Yousef Nadakharni, who has been sentenced to death for apostasy. Pastor Nadarkhani is currently held incommunicado in Lakan prison, and his appeal is pending at the Supreme Court
The news agency said a similar confiscation in the same region took place in October when hundreds of New Testaments were allegedly confiscated by Iranian authorities from a passengers bus heading for Tehran at the border crossing of Salmas.
Security forces also searched a home of a man who recently converted to Christianity in the town of Salmas, the news agency added.
Iranian officials could not be reached for comment, by Mohabat News suggested these were no isolated incidents.
However in a recent statement carried by state news agency IRNA, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast hit back accusing the U.S. of infringing the religious rights of Muslims. “The US government expresses concern about the situation of some fake cults fabricated by English colonialists and Zionists while … it is the biggest violator of Muslims’ religious rights.”
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