As we go to print we’ve heard that Farshid Fathi has been told he will be released from prison in December this year, two years earlier than expected.

This is wonderful news – Farshid is a convert from Islam, and a church leader, who was imprisoned on false security-related charges. During his time in prison he’s been mistreated and beaten, and has spent over 100 days in solitary confinement.

Iran is known for its lack of tolerance of religious and ethnic minorities. Since the 1979 Revolution they’ve been viewed with suspicion and treated as a threat to the government, and converts to Christianity from Islam are especially at risk. Over the years many have been harassed, intimidated, arrested – and some have been in prison for years on trumped-up charges.

• Thank God for the wonderful news about Farshid, after years of prayer and campaigning on his case;
• Pray that the Iranian government would stick to its promise to release him in December;
• Pray that God would comfort, strengthen, encourage and protect other Christians in prison, such as Behnam Irani and Saeed Abedini, and secure their release;
• Ask God to provide for the wives and families of the prisoners, physically, emotionally and spiritually;
• Pray that President Rouhani would be moved to protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, as he promised when he was elected in 2013;
• Pray that government officials would stop their hate speech, which often aims to incite violence against Christians and others;
• Thank God for the courage shown by Iranians who speak out against injustice, despite the risk, and pray for their continued protection.