A Christian pastor was arrested in Tehran earlier this week while conducting a prayer meeting amid reports his church may be forced to close by the end of June.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide – an advocacy group for the persecuted church – said Rev Robert Asserian was conducting a prayer meeting at the Central Assemblies of God Church in Iran when he was arrested and taken to an unknow location on Tuesday. Security forces earlier reportedly raided his house and confiscated items including a computer and books.
It was reported by Iranian human rights organisation Article 18 that on Sunday church leaders informed the congregation that continued pressure from Iranian intelligence authorities meant a decision about the future of the church had to be made with once source stating that the pressure from authorities had become “unbearable”.
The AoG church was once of few churches that offered services in Farsi in Tehran and formerly did so on Friday before in 2009 being ordered to stop doing so and only hold services on Sunday. CSW says sources had now confirmed authorities had demanded it also end its Sunday services in Farsi, leaving the church with the option of conducting services in Armenian or closing.
Andrew Johnston, CSW’s advocacy director, says the group is “deeply concerned” for the welfare of Rev Asserian.
“The continued and sustained pressure by the Iranian regime on churches in Tehren has boxed them into a corner to such an extent that they can no longer function,” he says. “We renew our calls for the Iranian Government to honour its national and international obligations, in particular Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of religion or belief, and the right, either alone or in community with others, and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”.
