Eight policemen arrested a house church leader, Mohsen Namvar (44), in his home in Tehran on May 31, according to a June 9 report from Compass Direct. The officers confiscated a number of Namvar's personal belongings including his computer, printer, CDs, books and money. He was given no official explanation for the arrest, and his current location is unknown.

According to an Iranian pastor residing outside the country, Namvar had anticipated that police would come for him since hearing that he had been implicated during police interrogations of Christians in the city of Amol in April. He had been warned by a friend that authorities were keeping him under close watch. Namvar was previously held and tortured for baptizing Muslim converts to Christianity in the spring of 2007.

Pray for Namvar's release. Pray that he will act as a faithful witness for Christ during his detention (Matthew 5:14-16). Pray that his wife and children will rely on the Lord for comfort and strength.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Iran, go to the Iran Country Report.