By Marcus Jones

Tehran, June 8, 2020: Middle East Concern, a religious freedom charity, has urged Christians around the world to pray for four men who in early June began prison sentences after converting to Islam.

Hossein Kadivar, Khalil Dehghanpour, Kamal Naamanian and Mohammed Vafadar started their five year sentences at the notorious Evin Prison.

The men, who all belong to the Church of Iran, were arrested in 2019 allegedly for “acting against national security.”

While they appealed their convictions, the sentences were upheld on appeal in February.

Of the four men who presented themselves at Evin Prison, three are married with families, while Mohammad is single.

Middle East Concern reports that their friends have asked for prayer that: “God will comfort the families of all Christians in prison, providing for their needs and caring for the children in particular.

“God will grant his peace to those who recently started serving their prison sentences and encourage them greatly and Iran will respect the freedom of its citizens to follow the faith of their own choosing and stop criminalizing the activities of Christian converts as though they are acting against national security.”

Evin Prison, located in the Evin neighborhood of Tehran, is notable as the primary site for the housing of Iran’s political prisoners since 1972. It has been nicknamed “Evin University” because of the number of intellectuals housed there. The prisonhas been accused of committing “serious human rights abuses” against its political dissidents and critics of the government.

Evin Prison was constructed in 1972 under the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It is located at the foot of the Alborz Mountains on the former home of Ziaeddin Tabatabaee, who briefly served as prime minister in the 1920s. Iran’s judicial system is based on Islamic law, or sharia.

According to the MEC website, the concern was founded in 1991, in response to needs expressed by Christian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa region. Its member organizations and member individuals include Christians live and work in all 24 countries and territories in the region: Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Libya; Mauritania; Morocco; Northern Cyprus; Oman; Palestine; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Somalia; Sudan; Syria; Tunisia; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; Yemen.

Source: premierchristian.news