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Detainment / Arrest

• Letter From Imprisoned Christian Reveals Abusive Treatment

  

  Hakop Gochumyan and his wife Elisa are citizens of Armenia who were visiting Iran in August 2023. While this Christian couple were having dinner with friends, government agents raided the gathering, resulting in their arrest. Eventually, Elisa was released on bail and permitted to return to Armenia with their children. However, Hakop was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for allegedly "engaging in deviant proselytizing activity." For more details, see our previously posted report.

• Accused Christian Acquitted

  

  In June 2024, Chand Shamaun was arrested and charged with insulting Islam, a charge that is commonly used in Pakistan against citizens belonging to minority religious groups. In fact, a recent report indicated that a record number of blasphemy cases had been filed during the year of 2024 – reaching a total of 344 official accusations. For the accused, imprisonment is typically dangerous and, in some cases, even deadly. And those who've been released on bail or acquitted frequently face vigilante violence from people who still perceive them to be guilty.

• Long-Awaited Trials for Pastoral Couple

  

  Yang Rongli and Wang Xiaoguang are a pastoral couple who have been subjected to ongoing persecution from the Communist government for many years. In 2009, they were sentenced for allegedly disrupting public order. As a result, Yang spent seven years in prison, while Wang served three years. In August 2021, the couple had been arrested again. This time, they were accused of fraud in relation to the donations received by the church from its members. After almost four years, both cases have finally gone to court, through which the husband and wife were each tried separately.

• Detained Pastor's Wife in Solitary Confinement

  

  In 2022, Pastor Joseph Shahbazian was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for his Christian ministry work in Iran. After an appeal, he was released a year later. For unknown reasons, however, he was suddenly rearrested on February 6th of this year, and now reportedly faces numerous charges. For more details, see this report.

• Young Children Detained for Participating in Bible Lesson

  

  A Bible lesson for young children that had taken place at a private home in Fuyang, Anhui, was raided by police on April 29th. In total, ten children between the ages of five and six, along with five adult teachers, were taken to the police station where they were detained for several hours. Some of the youngsters appeared to suffer severe emotional distress during the detention; and, throughout that time, the police only checked on them once.

• Christians Sentenced for Alleged Illegal Business Activities

  

  During April 2021, Chinese authorities arrested ten Christians in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, for allegedly running an illegal business operation. In their efforts to get Bibles into the hands of as many people as possible, the believers had legally purchased copies of God's Word at a retail price and resold them for a fee well below the original cost. (For more information on the charges against these church members, go to this report.)

• "Gospel Warrior" Resumes Ministry Work

  

  As a former drug addict, Chen Wensheng understands firsthand the liberating power of Jesus Christ. Since experiencing spiritual freedom from bondage, he has become a ceaseless evangelist, sharing his faith with anyone who is willing to listen. In the past, he even expressed gratitude for his incarceration, since it gave him opportunities to testify of God's transforming love among fellow prisoners.

• Appeal Denied for Three Christian Converts

  

  On March 8th, three Christian converts in Iran, including a woman pregnant with her first child, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for participating in activities relating to their religious beliefs. (More details about the charges against these believers are available at VOMC's previously published report.)

• Christian Pilgrims Harassed by Hindu Nationalist Group

  

  Two busloads of Christians that had embarked on a Lenten pilgrimage tour were stopped by members of a Hindu nationalist group on March 31st and subsequently handed over to police. The incident led to the physical and verbal assault of some Christian leaders.

• Imprisoned Pastor Suffers Stroke

  

  In 2017, Pastor Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh was sentenced to ten years in prison for his Christian ministry activities. Though pardoned and released in 2022, the pastor was suddenly rearrested on February 6th of this year. (Read more.)