Iran (MNN) — Over 300 people have been executed in Iran so far this year — up 76% from the same time last year. The Iranian government has been cracking down on anti-government protestors. The protests began in September 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
Amnesty International and other watchdog groups have called out Iran’s gross violations of human rights — which include torturing protestors, forced confessions, and denying the right to a fair trial.
Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries says, “They use certain phrases and call them criminals. You can be a criminal for not being dressed properly. You can be in the wrong place at the wrong time in a protest situation, and they just gather up everyone and call them criminals.”
Protesters, women, Christians, and other religious minorities are often targeted for arrest and interrogation. When someone is taken in by the morality police, there’s no telling if they will come back or if it will be another forced disappearance case.
“I’ve heard specific stories of people begging for their one child not to be executed, and they were executed anyway. We’ve all heard the story of the Iranian British citizen who was forced into a confession from torture,” says Godwin.
“A lot of times the people there are asked to sign a confession of some sort that isn’t true and then they’ll let them leave. So it’s probably on a more minor offense that they would actually let them leave, but they make them sign a confession and who knows if you’re really going to get to leave or not.”
Esther: Queen of Hope (Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries)
IMM uses biblical media to encourage believers around the world including Farsi-speakers in Iran.
Godwin says, “In the next week, we’re going to be releasing a short social media piece that asks the question, what is worth risking your life for? And we are asking this question in the context of Esther’s story. What was Esther willing to risk her life for? For her people.”
Click here to give towards IMM’s Esther: Queen of Hope project.
Pray that IMM’s depiction of Esther in Scripture and the connection to Persian history will point Iranians to Jesus Christ.
Also, Godwin says, “It’s an important time to be praying for Iran and thinking about the believers that are there that are either getting arrested or trying to hold up the community. It’s a fast-growing Christian community, but very highly secret because of the dangers they face.”
Finally, ask God to bring justice to Iran, true peace, and to ultimately change Iranian hearts with the Gospel.
Header photo of Evin Prison in Iran. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
