Pastors Rearrested, One Suffers Stroke

Iranian pastors Nasser Navard Gol-Tapath, age 63, and Joseph Shahbazian, age 61, were rearrested in their homes on Feb. 6, 2025, and taken to Evin Prison. No reason for their arrests was given. Pastor Nasser immediately began a hunger strike in protest but suffered a debilitating stroke on March 17. While he reportedly has received some medical treatment, he remains behind bars. Pastor Nasser had previously served nearly 5 years in the same prison on a 10-year sentence on charges of “action against national security” for leading house churches. Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, an Iranian Armenian, had also been sentenced to 10 years on the same charge and had served just over a year in the prison when they were both released in October 2022. Iranian church leaders say the arrests of pastors and Christians show that the Iranian government continues to target church leaders, even those previously pardoned.

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