Iran

After nine months in prison, the two young female converts who have gained international attention were freed Wednesday afternoon in Iran, sources inside the country reported.

Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were released at 3:30 p.m. local time without bail, according to Elam Ministries. They are currently at home with their family, but could face more court hearings in the future.

“Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," they said, according to Elam. more >>

The two Iranian female converts that rights groups have been campaigning for were not freed Monday as expected.

Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were supposed to be released Nov. 16, according to news received by Elam Ministries, a group that supports the church in Iran.

But Elam was later informed that their release was delayed due to “legal procedures.” The families of the women, however, remain hopeful that the two women will soon be freed. more >>

The largest church that gives open, public services in Iran will no longer hold Friday worship services due to government pressure, local sources reported this past week.

According to reports, authorities had threatened the Rev. Sourik, the bishop and overseer of the Assemblies of God Churches in Iran, to completely shut down the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran unless it stopped holding Friday services by the deadline, Oct. 31.

Sourik, who had resisted the demands of authorities, finally relented and announced at the end of a Friday afternoon worship on Oct. 30 that there would no longer be Friday gatherings but only Sunday services. more >>

A ministry that supports persecuted Christians launched a campaign Thursday to press Iran to release two young female converts who have been detained for eight months in one of the most notorious prisons in the country.

Open Doors USA is calling on people to send a “respectful” message to Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee to request that Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, be released immediately.

 “Maryam and Marzieh are suffering in an Iranian prison simply for refusing to recant their belief in Jesus Christ…they truly are modern heroes of the faith,” said Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. “We must speak out against this injustice.” more >>

The case of two Iranian women who converted to Christianity took an unexpected turn for the better recently when their case was transferred to a new judge.

Unlike previous judges, the new judge was reportedly sympathetic to the situation of Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, according to Elam Ministries, a group that supports churches in Iran.

The two young converts were unexpectedly called to appear in court on the morning of Oct. 7 to face three charges: anti-state activities, propagation of the Christian faith, and apostasy. The new judge acquitted the defendants from the charge of anti-state activities, which Elam noted rarely happens. more >>