Praise God!

Pastor Vahik Abrahamian, a 45-year-old Armenian Christian from Iran, was released from prison on Monday 29 August, after suffering greatly behind bars for a year, and has now rejoined his family.

On 4 September 2010 Pastor Vahik Abrahamian and his wife Sonia Keshish Avanesian were meeting with another Christian couple at Vahik and Sonia’s home when all four were arrested. Sonia and the other couple were released from prison in April 2011. Officials told Sonia they would release her husband 10 days later, however, he was retained at Iran’s notorious Evin prison in Tehran. The couples had been accused of various offences, including propagating Christianity, opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran, and having contact with exiled opposition figures. 

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. Vahik and Sonia have spent much of their time working with drug addicts and helping the needy and disadvantaged. During his one year imprisonment, Farsi Christian News Network obtained reports of Pastor Abrahamian's poor health and also about the prison's deplorable hygiene conditions which made family, friends and entire Christian community extremely concerned.

An extended member of Vahik and Sonia Abrahamian’s family has told FCNN that the whole family is rejoicing and expressed their gratitude first to God for His gracious protection and intervention and secondly to the Christian family worldwide who have not ceased praying and advocating on their behalf.

Source: AssistNews Service & VOM USA

Thank the Lord for this wonderful answer to prayer! Ask the Lord to give Vahik and Sonia the grace and strength they need to overcome this trial; pray also for their protection. Pray this news will serve as an encouragement to all Christian believers in Iran.