Marzieh & Maryam Iran (Islamic Republic of) March 2009 On March 5, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad and Maryam Rustampoor were arrested by Iranian security forces and labeled anti-government activists, according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN). Thirty year-old Marzieh and 27-year-old Maryam are being held at Evin Prison, which is notorious for treating women badly. Both women are allowed just a one-minute telephone call everyday to their immediate families. Both are unwell and in need of urgent medical attention, FCNN reported. During their last call on March 28, Mazieh said that she was suffering from an infection and high fever. She said, I am dying. Marzieh and Maryam s apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus, FCNN added. They are being unfairly labeled as anti government activists because of the hostility of the government towards practicing Christians. The women have reportedly been interrogated numerous times and were held in three different police detention centers before being sent to Evin Prison. FCNN reported an exorbitant bail amount of US$ 400,000 has been set even though Marzieh and Maryam s families have been told on numerous occasions that a judge is not available to discuss the case. Marzieh and Maryam s arrest is the latest incident highlighting increased government intimidation of Christians in Iran. Believers are subjected to surveillance, arrests, imprisonment, and sometimes torture. Meanwhile on Aug. 8, Marzieh and Maryam were summoned to an Iranian court and ordered to deny their faith verbally and in a written statement. Praise God, they stood firm and replied, We love Jesus. We will not deny our faith. They have been sent back to Evin prison. Address for Marzieh & Maryam Evin Prison Saadat Abad Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran 1946 5491 1 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Shi Weihan China November 2007 On June 10, a Chinese court sentenced Christian bookstore owner, Shi Weihan,38, to three years in prison for illegal business operations, and imposed a US$21,975 fine, according to China Aid Association. Shi Weihan operated a legal bookstore and only sold books with the government s approval. His Holy Spirit Trading Company printed Bibles and Christian literature and distributed them freely to local house churches. Weihan was arrested in November 2007 for printing and distributing Bibles and other Christian literature. He was released in January 2008 due to insufficient evidence, but was arrested again in March and held indefinitely. China Aid reported his sentence will run from November 2007 to November 2010. Believers hope that Weihan could appeal his sentence because of medical reasons. While in prison his diabetic condition worsened. Address for Shi Weihan Qinghe Detention Center of the Haidian Sub-Bureau 2585 Longgang Road Qinghe Town Haidian District Beijing China 262 1186 2 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Sandul Bibi Pakistan Twenty- year-old Sandul Bibi is in prison in Pakistan, charged with violating section 295-B of the Pakistani legal code, the blasphemy law. Sandul is falsely accused of ripping pages from the Quran. On Oct. 9 a large crowd of Muslims attacked Christian families at a church, throwing stones and firing guns. They were shouting, Kill Gulsher and his daughter Sandul. Sandul and her father, Gulsher Masih, were arrested after a mob from the local mosque surrounded their house. Loudspeakers from different mosques broadcast accusations that Christians had disgraced the Quran, calling Muslims to attack and burn their homes. The angry crowd threw stones at Sandul s home. Christians believe Sandul and her father were targeted and arrested because they were aggressively winning villagers to Christ. Sandul has written several letters to her family from prison. In her latest letter she says, I am praying a lot that God releases me from here and I can meet you, but I don t know when. He will give answers for our prayers. Please pray for me. If convicted, Sandul faces at least four years in prison. She and her family desperately need your prayers and encouragement. Also write a letter of encouragement to Sandal s father, Gulsher Masih, who is being held at the same prison. October 2008 Address for Sandul Bibi District Jail 1943 Faisalabad-Punjab Pakistan 6752 3 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Gulsher Masih Pakistan Gulsher Masih is in prison in Pakistan, charged along with his daughter, Sandul Bibi, with violating section 295-B of the Pakistani legal code, the blasphemy law. The Voice of the Martyrs contacts report that Sandul found pages of the Quran on the ground picked them up and handed them to her Muslim neighbor. As a result, she and Gulsher were falsely accused of ripping pages from the Quran. On Oct. 9 a large crowd of Muslims attacked Gulsher s home throwing stones and firing guns. They were shouting, Kill Gulsher and his daughter Sandul. Gulsher and Sandul were arrested after a mob from the local mosque surrounded their house. Loudspeakers from different mosques broadcast accusations that Christians had disgraced the Quran, calling Muslims to attack and burn their homes. The angry crowd threw stones at Gulsher s home. Christians believe Gulsher and Sandul were targeted and arrested because they were aggressively winning Muslims to Christ. If convicted, Gulsher faces at least four years in prison. Gulsher, Sandul and their family greatly appreciate your prayers during this challenging time. Also write a letter of encouragement to Gulsher s daughter, Sandul Bibi, who is being held at the same prison. October 2008 Address for Gulsher Masih Central Jail 858 Faisalabad Pakistan 2993 4 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Haile Nayzgi During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Haile Nayzgi was arrested and taken to Police Station #1 in Asmara. He was the leader of Eritrea s Full Gospel Church, which is comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups. The church groups were closed by government decree at a meeting with a government official on May 15, 2003. At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received. Haile is married and has four children. He was previously an accountant with World Evangelical Alliance. During his incarceration Haile has been refused any personal contact with his family. When family and friends went to take food and clothing to the prison for Haile on August 24, 2004, they were told that he was no longer there. Mr. Nayzgi has been moved to various locations since his arrest, but the actual charges against him have not been released. Eritrea May 2004 Address for Haile Nayzgi Karsheli Prison 2nd Police Station Zone 7 Northern East Zoba Maakel Asmara, Eritrea 1050 3185 5 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Ms Li Ying Journalist Li Ying is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for her role in the publication of an underground church magazine in China. She was arrested April 2001 along with 16 others from the South China Church and condemned to death December 2001. Her current sentence was handed down during a retrial ordered by the Hubei Provincial Supreme Court in October 2002. Arrest and imprisonment are not new to this young woman in her early thirties. She has been arrested many times and spent a year in prison in 1996. Li Ying is the niece of Pastor Gong Shengliang, founder of the South China Church, one of the fastest-growing house-church movements in China. Li Ying cannot have a Bible and is forced to work 15 hours each day on materials to be exported out of China. Please pray for this young woman to remain faithful to our Lord. Please share this site with others. Read on to see how God uses the willing. This information was obtained from China Aid Association, a vital partner with VOM (www.chinaaid.org). China April 2001 Address for Ms Li Ying No. 2 Division, Section 3 Wuhan Female Prison Wuhan City Hubei Province 430032 People s Republic of China 2621 9536 6 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
In September 2007 Chinese government officials closed Alimujiang Yimiti s business and accused him of using it as a cover up for preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity. He was later arrested in January 2008 and accused of subversion of the national government and endangering national security, a crime punishable by death. Alimujiang, a former Muslim, became a Christian more than 10 years ago and has been an active Christian in the growing Uyghur church. On May 27 Alimujiang s case went to trial. His case was referred back to the Chinese Public Security Bureau s prosecutors due to insufficient evidence. He remains in custody. Alimujiang Yimiti China January 2008 Detention Center Kan Shou Suo Ka Shi, Xinjiang 1601 844000 Peoples Republic of China 4674 When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source of your information or the name of any organization such as The Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from individuals, but if an organization is mentioned they may be accused of links with foreign organizations and receive harsher sentences. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. For the latest information, including letter writing tools and helps, please visit PrisonerAlert.com. 7 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel Eritrea May 2004 Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, a leading figure of Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, founder and senior pastor of Southwest Full Gospel Church and member of the executive committee to the Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, was arrested on May 23, 2004. He was taken from his home in Asmara Gejeret, at approximately 5:00 a.m. Dr. Gebremeskel was a mathematics lecturer, department and faculty head at the University of Asmara until 1999, when he became a full-time pastor at the Southwest Full Gospel Church. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Chicago University. His wife and four children have not been able to visit him. Nearly 1,800 Eritrean Christians are now believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. Dr. Gebremeskel is one of the 28 clergymen being held. Jailed Protestants are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three official Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations-the nation s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches-have come under government disfavor in the past year, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials. Sources: VOM, Compass Direct Address for Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel Karsheli Prison 2nd Police Station Zone 7 Northern East Zoba Maakel Asmara, Eritrea 1274 4043 8 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
In January 21, 2007, Pastor Dmitry Shestakov was arrested in a raid on his Full Gospel Church in Andijan, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan s Religious Affairs Committee claims Shestakov, an evangelical pastor affiliated with the registered Full Gospel Church, is not an authorized leader of any officially-recognized religious organization in Uzbekistan. They describe him as an imposter leading an underground group identified as Charismatic Pentecostals engaged in proselytizing under Shestakov s leadership. He is appealing his four-year labor camp sentence. Dmitry Shestakov Uzbekistan January 2007 Ispravitelnoye Uchrezhdeniye 64/29 Novoyiskaya Oblast Uzbekistan 1303 When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source 5371 of your information or the name of any organization such as The Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from individuals, but if an organization is mentioned they may be accused of links with foreign organizations and receive harsher sentences. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. For the latest 9 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
Le Thi Cong Nhan Vietnam March 2007 In May 2007, Le Thi Cong Nhan, a Vietnamese Christian and lawyer, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by three years of house arrest. Nhan was arrested and sentenced alongside Nguyen Van Dai, a Protestant church leader and lawyer. They are accused of a wide range of crimes; such as conspiring with terrorists, in their efforts to promote human rights efforts, including religious rights and democracy. They are also accused of compiling evidence of Vietnam s suppression of the Protestant religion and providing it to the U.S.-based Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam and the U.S. embassy. Following Nhan and Dai s sentencing, the Vietnamese state news agency accused the lawyers of posting information on the internet [and] painting biased and distorted pictures of the country and its internal affairs. Address for Le Thi Cong Nhan Ba Le Thi Phu Dung C5/1H Tran Nao, Khu Pho 1 Phuong Binn Khanh, Quan 2 TP Ho Chi Minh Vietnam 915 3308 10 PrisonerAlert.com is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs
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