Iran: authorities storm Protestant church, detain all members

December 28, 2011

Police stormed an Assemblies of God church in Ahwaz (also known as Ahvaz), a southwestern Iranian city of 970,000, and detained all present, including children, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, an organization that monitors the persecution of Christians.

“The Iranian authorities often insist that Christians are being arrested for indulging in actions that threaten public security; however, it is difficult to conceive how children attending Sunday school or, for that matter, legitimate Christmas celebrations fit into this category,” said Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Mervyn Thomas. “It increasingly appears as if the Iranian regime has decided to deem every act of Christian worship a threat to national security.”

 

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Further information:

• Iranian authorities detain Sunday School children during church raid (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)