Two Iranian Christian converts, Mahmoud Mardani-Kharaji, 56, and his brother Mansour, 50, have been sentenced to four years in prison for their membership of a “house church”.
They were convicted under Iran’s amended Article 500, which criminalises “deviant propaganda activities contrary to the holy religion of Islam”.
The brothers were first arrested at a “house church” meeting in December 2022 when plainclothes officers raided the gathering.
Mansour Mardani-Kharaji (left) and his brother Mahmoud [Image credit: Article 18]
In addition to their prison terms, Mahmoud and Mansour were each fined 150 million tomans (£1,250; $1,500; €1,375). After their release they will be banned from joining any groups for five years and barred from their home province of Isfahan for two years, a stipulation known as “internal exile”.
Two other Christians arrested alongside the brothers had their charges dropped, although the reasons remain unclear.
Christian converts in Iran are often pressured to renounce their faith or agree to cease their involvement in Christian activities.
As they encounter ongoing tests of their faith, the persecution of Christian converts continues to highlight the challenges faced by religious minorities in Iran.
Pray that God will grant strength to Mahmoud and Mansour, and to all those who face persecution for their faith in Christ. Ask that God will bless them with courage and peace in the midst of their trials. Pray for the protection of our brothers and sisters in Iran and around the world, that they may experience freedom to worship and live according to their faith.
