Posted: 04/22/2010 at 6:41am | IP Logged

KARAJ, IRAN (ANS) -- The Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN) is reporting that plain clothes security officers in attacking a house-church in Karaj, Iran, not only threatened the members of the church, but after physically assaulting the pastor took him away to an undisclosed location.

Pastor Irani (Photo: FCNN)

FCCN says that that on Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at 4:30 pm, several plain clothes security officers, introducing themselves as "agents of the Ministry of Information," invaded the home of a local house-church pastor in the city of Karaj, which is situated about 13 miles west of the capital of Tehran, and after threatening those who were present there, assaulted and arrested the pastor, named Behnam Irani, and transported him to an undisclosed location.

"Sources in and around the city of Karaj report than approximately 10 young men had gathered to fellowship and practice their newly found faith by studying the Bible, void of any political or current issues, when this attack occurred," said a FCNN spokesperson.

"The security officers in their invasion and attack on the location of this house-church used warm and cold weapons and after arresting all attendees, forced everyone to complete prepared forms that questioned how they became a Christian and who baptized them. Also, each attendee was informed that they had attended an illegal meeting and in the coming days they would be called and summoned for further questioning by the authorities."

The FCNN report adds that on the same day, after this incident, the security officers entered the home of Behnam Irani and searched and confiscated most of his personal belongings such as pictures, portraits of Christ, cameras, computers, CDs, DVDs, Bibles, and other Christian literature.

"The wife of Pastor Behnam Irani, upon returning home, noticed that the front lock had been broken and the house was in a mess. She had first assumed that robbers had entered the house and stolen their belongings, but witnesses informed her of the invasion by the security officers belonging to the Ministry of Information," said the spokesperson.

"The family of Pastor Irani despite several attempts to receive some information of the whereabouts of their loved one and the nature of the charges were given no information by the responsible authorities, but it seems that he is being held at a detention center located at the 6th Avenue of Gohar-Dasht area in the city of Karaj.

"This evasive attitude by the authorities has caused concern among the family members and the Christian community in Karaj.

"It is noteworthy to mention that approximately 5 years ago, Behnam was arrested and charged with similar crimes and spent more than one month in prison. Later he was released with 5 year probation.

The spokesperson concluded by saying, "This brutal and offensive action by the Ministry of Information, which claims to exist in order to protect the citizens of the country, is a violation of the rights of a citizen and his family."

For more information, go to www.fcnn.com

Source: (ANS) www.assistnews.net