Imprisoned Christian Grieves Over Loss of Son

Two images; Yasser on the left, and his son, Amir-Ali, in a bed with an oxygen mask.
Yasser (left) and his son, Amir-Ali.
Photo: Article18

In January 2019, Mehdi Akbari was arrested along with fellow Christian converts during coordinated raids on their homes. In October 2020, he was sentenced to ten years in prison for "acting against national security" by "forming an illegal evangelical Christian group." During the trial, which lasted mere minutes, the judge ridiculed the believer's faith and referred to Christianity as a "deviant religion."

Mehdi, who prefers to go by Yasser, was a single parent whose only son, Amir-Ali, had cerebral palsy. Upon Yasser's detention, the 18-year-old boy was sent to a care facility in Tehran. In December 2021, the detained Christian father received news that Amir-Ali had passed away due to health complications. Despite pleas to the court, Yasser was not given leave to attend the burial of his son. Thankfully, he had been granted a short visit two months before his son died.

After serving three years in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, the Christian man continues to suffer from the trauma of his grievous situation. A letter was recently smuggled out of the prison, giving a first-hand account of the struggles he has been facing.

Yasser describes how he was being tortured in the Tehran prison while his terminally ill son lay dying outside its confining walls. Now, more than a year and a half later, Yasser states that he still carries his grief within him "like a suppressed cry and an unexpressed sorrow." After describing the final visit he had with his son while surrounded by prison officials, he writes, "I consider the best moment of my life to be the last time I hugged my Amir-Ali."

In his letter, Yasser also reflects on the charges against him. "Is worshipping God a crime?" he asks. The detained believer states that, when taken to court, he naively believed he would appear before a fair judge who would rule according to the country's constitution. "But what an illusion that was!" he adds. Having no lawyer to represent him, Yasser writes that he had no idea how to reply to the accusations that he somehow acted "against national security."

Considering his faith, Yasser writes, "When the night drags its black mantle over the prison, and the sadness sinks in with the sunset, the beats of the seconds of the clock hit like a whip in my mind, and I begin to wonder...if this faith of mine is worth enduring such pressures." But then, when Yasser ponders on his relationship with God, he receives greatly needed reassurance. "Time and time again, I have found myself surrounded with these thoughts, and each time I have answered firmly: 'Yes, of course it is worth it.'" The imprisoned believer is thankfully able to firmly testify, "I only know that I am, and will remain, a Christian; and that I will preach about the light of God and Kingdom of heaven to everyone."

Iran has been described as a country that is home to the fastest growing church in the world, with an estimated one million Christian converts from Muslim backgrounds. The Islamic theocratic government has actively fought against this growth, imprisoning many followers of Jesus, including Yasser. For more details, go to our country report.

Praise God for Yasser's resilient faithfulness to the Lord, despite his painful circumstances. Please keep this dear Christian brother in your prayers, asking that he would soon be released from captivity and that, in the meantime, he will be granted continued strength of heart, mind and body. Finally, pray that God will continue working mightily throughout Iran by leading many to faith in Christ – including the country's opposing governmental and judicial officials.

  • Current Ministry Fund

    By funding television broadcasts, VOMC is making it possible for a vast audience of viewers to be reached throughout Iran with the "Good News" of Jesus' love via satellite.

    Project Fund: Underground Church

  • Country Information

    Designation
    Persecuted

    Population
    87,590,873 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity
    Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes

    Religion (%)
    Islam (98.5), Christian (0.7), Baha'i (0.3), agnostic (0.3), other (0.2)

    Leader
    Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei (1989)

    Government type
    Theocratic republic

    Legal system
    Religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Iran

    As the Gospel message goes forth over the airwaves, may the growth of the church continue to multiply despite persecution. Pray that the Iranian government will be open to change, allowing full rights and protection for its non-Muslim citizens as well. In the meantime, may those who are forced to flee the country find safe refuge and help so they can live in peace and worship the Lord with freedom.

Iran News

  • Armenian Christian Faces Ten-Year Sentence
    Hakop Gochumyan
    Hakop Gochumyan
    Photo: Article18

    Hakop Gochumyan and his wife Elisa are citizens of Armenia who went to Iran for vacation in August 2023. While the Christian couple and their two children were having dinner at a friend's house, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence raided the property. The authorities took the Christian family to the home of Elisa's grandmother, where the believers had been staying, and proceeded to search the residence. During the raid, Christian books and other personal belongings were confiscated. The couple was then taken to Evin Prison where they faced interrogation and intense psychological torture.