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World Watch Monitor
World News

Iranian pastor's wife joins husband in prison

by Tola Mbakwe

According to Christian advocacy group Middle East Concern, Shamiram Isavi Khabizeh, was also found guilty of "organising small groups, attending a seminary abroad and training church leaders and pastors to act as spies".

Her five year prison sentence comes after her husband, Victor Bet-Tamraz, was sentenced in July 2017 for "acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches".

The couple's son, Ramil, is also facing the exact same charges his father was imprisoned for.

According to World Watch Monitor, Khabizeh, who will appeal the sentence, was first detained in June last year, then released on bail after paying the equivalent of $30,000.

World Watch Monitor
From left: Victor Bet-Tamraz, Amin Afshar-Naderi, Kaviyan Fallah-Mohammadi, and Hadi Asgari

World Watch Monitor said the family is among more than a dozen Christians who were given prison sentences of between 10 and 15 years for "acting against national security".

Iran is 10th on the newly released Open Doors 2018 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian.

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