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Pastor’s wife held in solitary confinement after husband re-arrested, sent to notorious Evin Prison

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Besides questioning and threatening friends of an Iranian-Armenian pastor re-arrested for practicing his faith, authorities in Iran have detained his wife and put her in solitary confinement, according to an advocacy group.

Lida Alexani, 56-year-old wife of Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, was arrested on April 12 and sent to solitary confinement in Evin Prison in Tehran, according to Article 18. Charges if any were unknown, but her husband was re-arrested on Feb. 6 and sent to Evin Prison after having been “pardoned” in September 2023 for his participation in a house church, deemed “actions against national security.”

Prior to his 2023 release, Pastor Shahbazian had spent just over a year at Evin Prison.

“Joseph’s mother, Jhasmen, for whom he was the primary carer, passed away on April 9, and her funeral was held on April 14, in the absence of both her son and daughter-in-law,” Article 18 reports. “It had been hoped and expected that Joseph may be released in time for the Iranian New Year, and then after his mother’s death, but in spite of a bail amount being set for him of $7,000 (499 million tomans), he remains in Evin Prison.”

Pastor Shahbazian has been put in Ward 4 of the prison after spending nearly two months in solitary confinement, Article18 reported. He reportedly faces charges of “propaganda against the regime,” “propaganda activities contrary to the holy religion of Islam through the establishment and operation of a house church,” and “acquiring wealth through the illegitimate means of tithes and donations.”

The pastor denies the accusations and has been denied access to a lawyer of his choice, according to Article 18.

Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) officials also have recently summoned several of Pastor Shahbazian’s Christian friends, including some present during his first arrest in 2020, to try to gather new evidence against him, the group reported.

“They tried to force us to cooperate with the MOIS by luring us and even threatening us,” one of the Christians told Article18 on condition of anonymity. “They wanted me to say something untrue against Brother Joseph so they could build a case against him. The interrogator said, ‘If you don’t help us, we’ll have to resume our unfinished investigation against you.’”

Iranian authorities are increasingly targeting Christians’ finances in an apparent “effort to isolate and financially undermine the Christian community as part of a broader strategy to suppress its growth and influence,” according to Article18’s annual report.

“Making financial donations, charitable offerings, or paying tithes to support church activities are standard practices for Christians worldwide, but such activities have been criminalized by Iran’s Revolutionary Courts,” the report stated.

Prison sentences upheld

Also in Tehran, an appeals court on April 23 upheld the harsh prison sentences of three Christian converts, including a pregnant woman.

The 37-year-old mother, Narges Nasri, along with Abbas Soori and Mehran Shamloui had been sentenced in March to a total of more than 40 years in prison on charges related to their Christian belief and practice. The 36th branch of the Tehran appeal court informed them on April 26 that it had rejected their appeals on April 23, citing “the scope of their activities and their harmful effects.”

The three Christians had been arrested in November in concurrent raids by intelligence agents on their homes in Tehran, where authorities confiscated personal belongings such as Bibles, crosses and musical instruments.

They were then transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. They were released on bail equivalent to more than $20,000 each a month later after lengthy and intensive interrogations, Article 18 reported.

Their court hearing took place on Feb. 15 at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, where they were officially charged with “membership of opposition groups,” “propaganda against the system” and “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law through foreign relations,” under Articles 499, 500 and 500 bis, respectively.

A month later, the pregnant Nasri received the stiffest sentence — 10 years for “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law,” five for membership of an “opposition group” (house church) and one year for “propaganda against the state” for posting on social media in support of the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

Soori, 48, received 15 years in prison — 10 years for “propaganda activities” and five for membership of an “opposition group” — while Shamloui, 37, received an eight-year sentence for the first charge and two years and eight months for the second, Article 18 stated.

All three were also sentenced to years of deprivation of social rights, such as to health, employment or education — 15 years each for Nasri and Soori, and 11 years for Shamloui, while Nasri and Soori were fined 330 million tomans ($3,500 USD) each, and Shamloui 250 million ($2,750 USD). Nasri and Soori were also banned from membership of any group, residing in their home province of Tehran or leaving Iran for two years after their release, according to Article 18.

At least 10 other Christians, including Nasri’s three sisters, were arrested on the same November day during raids on Christian homes across the country in the cities of Karaj (near Tehran), Mashhad in the northeast, and Shiraz and Bandar Abbas in the south, among others.

Soori had been arrested in 2020 and later sentenced alongside another Christian convert, Maryam Mohammadi, and their pastor, Iranian-Armenian Anooshavan Avedian. Abbas and Mohammadi received non-custodial punishments including travel bans, exile from the province of Tehran and prohibition of membership in any political or social groups, while Pastor Avedian, who is in his 60s, was given a 10-year prison term. He was acquitted in September last year, having served just over one year of his sentence.

Iran ranked ninth on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The report noted that despite persecution, “the church in Iran is growing steadily.”
Sources:Christianpost

http://theendtimeradio.com

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‘God Still Heals’: Mike Signorelli on Fighting the Demonic, Seeing Miracles — and More

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A New York City pastor is on a mission to help people see that “God still heals.”

Mike Signorelli of V1 Church in New York City joined Billy Hallowell to explain how facets of the secular medical community are now “open to the spiritual realm.”

While some doctors and hospitals are looking for help in the wrong places, he said there is an opportunity for Christians to step into the fold and divert attention toward biblical truth.

“What we have to do is believe that God is going to do what only He can do and let me awaken people to the reality that He still heals,” Signorelli said.

In his own ministry, the popular preacher said he has to remind himself to “pray for even incurable things,” as he puts full trust in the Lord. He said he’s seen and experienced incredible miracles as a result of this trust. Signorelli even shared the example of a woman who was healed of Multiple sclerosis (MS).

“I received an email with all of these PDF attachments of a medical diagnosis of MS, and then as I begin to read the documents,” he said, noting he had prayed for the woman. “It was multiple confirmations that all the lesions were gone. It was completely undetectable and they cleared her and even said, ‘You’re done with medication and any medical intervention.’”

Signorelli continued, “And I wept knowing my own unbelief in that moment.”

These are the very issues CBN tackles in our new documentary “Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles,” as we travel the nation diving into claims of miraculous healing.

“Your film is so important,” Signorelli said of the project. “And I hope many people listening watch it right now because it’s like, listen, I don’t want to serve a God that never heals. … But we also don’t want to distract people from the fact that salvation is the greatest healing and we’re all going to die of something. So it’s like living in that both and is healthy doctrine, healthy theology.”

Signorelli is also on a mission to launch a new effort to inspire faith — the Mission 11:59.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Australian Defence Force releases new Bible edition for soldiers

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The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has released a new edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible, two decades after the previous edition was released in 2005.

The launch ceremony took place on March 13 at Russell Offices, the ADF’s administrative headquarters in Canberra, according to an ADF press release. Tina King of Bible Society Australia presented the new Bible to Maj. Gen. Sue Graham, who represented the chief of the Defence Force at the event.

“We acknowledge in the Defence Force how we are continually supported by the public, and the sacrifice from Bible Society volunteers brought forward today is another embodiment of that,” Graham said. “It’s particularly important to have a Bible that is available and relevant to all our soldiers, sailors and aviators.”

The new edition includes content tailored specifically to ADF personnel, such as contextually relevant prayers for those serving in the Navy, Army and Air Force.

“This is not a book for a bookshelf, it is a book to be near. We hope it will be dog-eared, underlined, searched and cherished,” said King.

Bible Society Australia also hosted a historical display at the event, showcasing military Bibles dating back to the Boer War. Among them was a Bible that saved the life of LCpl. Phillip Davies during World War I. Davies was digging for telephone cables at Messines Ridge, near Ypres in Belgium, when two bomb shells exploded nearby. Shrapnel struck his arms and legs, killing one colleague and injuring two others.

The location is known to have seen fierce fighting between British and German soldiers vying to control the ridge, considered important at the time for military advancement as it allowed a strategic viewpoint over the Ypres Salient.

The next morning, Davies discovered a piece of shrapnel stuck in the back cover of his Soldier’s Bible, which he had kept in his breast pocket. The shrapnel had been stopped just inches from his heart. The Bible was one of a million donated at the time by Bible Society Australia.

Director General Chaplaincy—Army, Principal Chaplain Kerry Larwill, spoke at the ceremony, noting the continued relevance of spiritual resources in military life.

“About 44 percent of Australians identified as Christian, and more are interested in spirituality of different varieties,” Larwill said. “For people who serve in Defence, which we know has demands on individuals and their families, it’s a source of light and hope to those who derive their meaning from a Christian perspective or value its wisdom.”

Representatives from the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia (MCF-A) and other chaplaincy networks, such as the Forum of Christian Military Ministries, also attended the launch. The new Bible includes a foreword written by former MCF-A patron and former Gov.-Gen. of Australia, General (retired) David Hurley.
Sources:Christianpost

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Labour council withdraws injunction seeking to ban Christian street preachers

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A Labour-run council in the United Kingdom has withdrawn its attempt to impose an injunction banning Christian street preachers in two Hampshire towns. Rushmoor Borough Council reversed its legal action after sustained opposition from local faith leaders and Conservative councilors.

The council had sought a court order in March that would have prohibited street preachers from praying, singing, handing out Bibles or leaflets, or initiating religious conversations in the town centers of Farnborough and Aldershot, according to the U.K.-based group Christian Concern.

The proposed injunction included restrictions that would have made it a criminal offense to pray for someone without prior permission, offer Christian literature by hand, or engage in discussions deemed “hostile” based on protected characteristics under the Equality Act.

“The Gospel has never been silenced by opposition — in fact, challenges like these have historically refined, not weakened, the Church’s resolve,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, in a statement provided to The Christian Post on Saturday.

“Thanks to the swift action of Christian Concern, the local preachers, councilors and supporters — and the public attention generated — the Council now recognizes the serious error of judgment it made. A meeting is now scheduled between the Council and the preachers to explore constructive and lasting solutions.

The council’s application, filed under provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and the Local Government Act 1972, cited the need to prevent “alarm and distress” among the public. The draft injunction warned that breaching its terms could result in prosecution and up to two years in prison.

Preachers and local churches said they were not consulted and described the proposed restrictions as disproportionate and unprecedented.

Lawyers from the Christian Legal Centre, which supported the preachers, said the injunction risked criminalizing ordinary expressions of faith, including carol singing.

Street preacher Sally McGuinness, who has worked in the area for over 15 years, was quoted as saying that she made several attempts to contact the council after learning of the proposed injunction but received no response.

She told council officials at a meeting on April 23 that the threat of criminalization had weighed heavily on her and accused the council of failing to acknowledge the good done by local Christian outreach.

Several faith leaders, including ministers from Evangelical churches, an Army chaplain and a local vicar, also attended the meeting to raise their objections. During the session, council officers were told that the proposed measures would not only restrict constitutionally protected religious expression but would set a precedent for banning similar public acts of faith.

Preacher Jamie Broadey, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, an arm of Christian Concern, said he had been shocked to read that the draft injunction forbade activities like praying or singing unless the public first gave permission.

He called the restrictions incompatible with centuries of Christian tradition in Britain.

Following the meeting, the council announced it would withdraw the application and consider a voluntary code of conduct for street preaching.

Council leader Gareth Williams was quoted as saying that discussions with the local Christian community helped reach a solution that balanced freedom of worship with the interests of all town center users.

Councilor Gareth Lyon, the local Conservative group leader who had taken up the preachers’ case, welcomed the decision, saying it was the right outcome for both free speech and religious liberty.

Rushmoor’s draft injunction on prohibitions included a ban on placing a hand on someone while praying — even if they consented — as well as any sermon that could be perceived as hostile toward individuals based on characteristics such as sex, gender identity or religion.

The council defended its position by citing complaints from members of the public who claimed the preachers created a “non-inclusive” environment. In one instance, a person said their trans-identified child felt unsafe encountering street preaching. Other complaints referred to the use of a portable PA system, preaching that was deemed judgmental and daytime evangelism that disrupted residents’ sleep.

A meeting between council officials and faith leaders is expected to discuss alternatives to legal enforcement. The preachers are still seeking an apology and assurances that such measures will not be pursued again.
Sources:Christianpost

http://theendtimeradio.com

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