Iran: No news about the status of a house church pastor in Dezful Prison
ICC Note:
“A group of new Christians were worshiping in a house church when the security forces stormed the house and arrested all of them. There is no news about the pastor of that group so far,” reports Mohabat News.
2/3/2011 Iran (Mohabat News) – Due to the restriction in Iran for Christians, a group of new Christians were worshiping in a house church when the security forces stormed the house and arrested all of them. There is no news about the pastor of that group so far.
According to the reporters from Iranian Christian news Agency (Mohabat News), on Friday, December 24th of 2010, 10 new Christians from the city of Dezful (south-east of Iran, 712 KM to Tehran) were about to celebrate Christmas Eve with fellow Christians from Ahvaz and Andimeshk, but they were all arrested by security forces. Intelligence officers interrupted the service by 6:45 PM, and introduced themselves as security forces. They ordered everyone to turn off their cell phones, and then began to search the house and collect the cell phones as well as other personal belongings such as Bibles and Christmas gifts.
They arrested everybody there along with the pastor, the host of that night’s house church celebrations, Noorollah Qabitizade. He was transferred hand cuffed and blind folded along with 10 others to a safe house in the centre of Dezfoul.
The security forces detained Noorollah Qabitizade separately in another room from others. They took pictures of everybody there, one by one while insulting and mistreating them verbally.
Detainees were interrogated about how they converted to Christianity. They were asked to name their Christian friends and tell what they know about them, and then how they know Mr. Noorollah Qabitizade. They were all released that night by 10 PM after being finger-printed. They were all asked to report to the office of Ministry of Information in the city of their residence the next morning.
According to Mohabat News, Pastor Noorallah Qabityzade is still in custody and has had no contact with his family since he was arrested.
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