Vahik Abrahamian

Update September 21, 2011

After being released from prison on Aug. 29, 2011, Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife, Sonia, were exiled to the Netherlands. Uri Rosenthal, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands, called their release a "positive step ahead," according to Mohabat News.

Iran had refused to allow the Netherlands to contact Pastor Abrahamian while he was imprisoned, despite his dual citizenship. Although Iran does not normally recognize dual citizenships, both the Netherlands and Iran approved Abrahamian's exile to Holland.

Prisoner Details

Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife Sonia Keshish-Avanesian were with their friends, Arash Kermanjani, and his wife, Arezo Teymouri, when all four friends were detained on September 4, 2010.

The two couples were arrested at the Abrahamians' home in Hamadan, west Iran, and taken to the Ministry of Islamic Guidance prison.

For the first 40 days, they were held in solitary confinement and reportedly suffered physical abuse and psychological pressure.

The four have been accused of various offenses, including propagating Christianity, opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran, and having contact with exiled opposition figures. They have not yet been charged.

Over six months have passed since the two men and two women were arrested. They are under pressure and intense interrogation, according to Mohabat News. They were transferred from Hamadan prison to Iran’s notorious Evin prison in Tehran.

Their families are concerned for their health, but have not been able to find news of their loved ones. They are also worried about the children of the believers.

Pastor Vahik was arrested once before, on Feb. 20, 2010, on charges of conducting activities among Muslims. He spent two months in prison before being released on bail. Pastor Vahik has dual citizenship in Iran and the Netherlands, but because of his passion for the Iranian people, he chose to live in Iran.

Source: Mohabat News