Authorities in Iran's Fars Province detained seven Christians in a church raid on Friday, even as five other Christian converts who were detained eight months ago from the same province will face trial on Monday. Over 300 Christians have been arbitrarily arrested and detained over the last two years.
Security personnel on Friday evening raided a house church belonging to the Church of Iran denomination in the city of Shiraz, and detained seven Christians, U.K.-based charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported.

The seven, identified as Mohammad (Vahid) Roghangir, Suroush Saraie, Roxana Forughi, Eskandar Rezaie, Bijan Haghighi, Mehdi Ameruni and Shahin Lahooti, were being held in Plaque 100, the Intelligence Ministry's notorious detention center.

Security men threatened older people at the prayer gathering, and then allowed them to leave while detaining the others.

CSW said the latest detentions were part of a "marked upsurge in a campaign of harassment of Christians of all denominations, with reports of a significant increase in arrests during recent weeks. "There appears to be an increasing tendency by the Iranian authorities to characterize legitimate religious activities as crimes against the state," CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said. "In reality, people are being harassed merely on account of their faith."

Meanwhile, five Christian converts arrested eight months ago from Shiraz officially received a trial date through a lawyer for Monday, Mohabat News, an Iranian Christian news agency, reported.

The trial will be held in Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz.

The accused were identified as Mojtaba Hosseini, Mohammad-Reza Partoei (Kourosh), Vahid Hakkani, Homayoun Shokouhi and his wife Mrs. Fariba Nazemian. The charges against them include "creating illegal groups," "participating in house church service," "propagation against the Islamic regime," and "defaming Islamic holy figures through Christian evangelizing."…

Reuters last month quoted Ahmed Shaheed, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, as saying that he estimated that "over 300 Christians have been arbitrarily arrested and detained throughout the country since June 2010."

"Scores of other Christians appear to remain in detention for freely practicing their religion," Shaheed said. "Churches continue to report undue pressure to report membership, in what appears to be an effort to pressure and sometimes even detain converts."

Christians have faced a wave of arrests since the disputed presidential elections in June 2009. And persecution of minorities intensified as international pressure began to build over Iran's secret nuclear enrichment program leading to sanctions in the following months, World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission notes.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering this abuse at the hands of the Iranian regime. Pray for their encouragement, protection and release and for the political transformation of this important and potentially dangerous nation.

Pastor Thanks Those who Prayed for his Release

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, recently released from an Iranian prison, has written a letter of thanks to all those who brought attention to his plight and prayed for his release.

Nadarkhani said God's goodness and protection was overwhelmingly evident during his imprisonment. He added, "I also want to express my gratitude towards those who, all around the world, have worked for my cause, or should I say the cause that I defend. I want to express my gratitude to all of those who have supported me, openly or in complete secrecy. You are all very dear to my heart. May the Lord bless you and give you His perfect and sovereign Grace."

Nadarkhani said while he had been tested, he had never felt lonely. He continued, "I was all the time aware of the fact that it wasn't a solitary battle, for I have felt all the energy and support of those who obeyed their conscience and fought for the promotion of the justice and the rights of all human beings. Thanks to these efforts, I have now the enormous joy to be by my wonderful wife and my children. I am grateful for these people through whom God has been working. All of this is very encouraging."

Nadarkhani said while imprisoned God comforted his family and gave them the ability to get through the difficult time. He said, "He has comforted my family and has given them the means to face that difficult situation. In His Grace, He provided for their spiritual and material needs, taking away from me a heavy weight." Nadarkhani said God provided wonderfully during the trial, allowing him to face the challenges ahead.