Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife Sonia Keshish-Avanesian were with their friends, Arash Kermanjani, and his wife, Arezo Teymouri [photo on right] when all four were detained on September 4, 2010. The two couples, who are close friends, were arrested at the Abrahamians' home in Hamadan, west Iran, and taken initially 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. Pastor Vahik's wife Sonia, who was pregnant when she was arrested, is said to have suffered a miscarriage – her fourth.
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. According to Mohabat, they have been 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.
The Prisoner Alert (a ministry of Voice of the Martyrs) is a important source for information, a wonderful help in fueling our prayers and in giving greater effectiveness to our advocacy efforts in their behalf. I encourage you to utilize it often. Along with the couples in the report above, the Prisoner Alert is currently posting profiles of several other persecuted believers including Ilmurad Nurliev (Turkmenistan), Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani (Islamic Republic of Iran), Tohar Haydarov (Uzbekistan), Imran Ghafur (Pakistan), Zhang Huamei (China) and Asia Bibi (Pakistan).
