ICC Note:
“There are new reports that another Christian Pastor, Reverend Matthias Haghnejad, has been tried in Iran for his faith. Even worse, eleven members of his Christian congregation, including his wife, were also tried and are now awaiting a verdict,” the American Center for Law and Justice reports.
By Jordan Sekulow
4/25/2012 Iran (ACLJ) – Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is just one example of the rampant persecution of Christians going on around the world.
Now, there are new reports that another Christian Pastor, Reverend Matthias Haghnejad, has been tried in Iran for his faith. Even worse, eleven members of his Christian congregation, including his wife, were also tried and are now awaiting a verdict.
Iranian prosecutors charged these Christians with "crimes against the order," a charge often leveled as a cover for religious persecution in Iran. Jason DeMars, founder of Present Truth Ministries, who the ACLJ has been working with in support of Pastor Youcef, told the Christian Post that these charges were based on accusations of the Christians’ "activities like drinking alcohol while taking communion and holding illegal meetings." He also reported that at trial, "Their defense was that they were performing religious rituals that were protected by law."
During the course of the trial, the judge threatened that all of the Christians could be charged with "apostasy," a crime that carries the death sentence. This intimidation tactic is common among Iranian judges, but could lead to formal apostasy charges.
If there was any question that Iran is engaged in a pervasive campaign of fear, intimidation, and persecution against Christians, consider this: The court conducted the trial of these 12 Christians in Iran on Easter Sunday, outside the presence of their attorney.
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