SW News: Hot on the heels of Iranian believers exulting over the release of a pastor and eight other members of his church from jail pending trial, Pastor Addolreza Ali (Matthias) Haghnejad was rearrested on January 15 and sent back to Anzali Prison where has to serve a six-year sentence.

Following his detention on charges of "endangering national security" and "promoting Zionist Christianity," Pastor Matthias was freed on December 30, last year nearly three years in jail. According to Middle East Concern, a religious freedom organization, the pastor was summoned to court again on January 15, where he was sentenced to six years in prison. He was also charged with propagating Christianity outside the church and for “giving information to the enemies of Islam."

The case of the nine Christians was ordered to be reviewed by the Iranian Supreme Court. Their sentences were handed down in September 2019, and they were upheld in February 2020 without the presence of themselves or their attorneys. Pastor Matthias spent two weeks at home with his family when the Iranian Supreme Court decided to re-examine the offenses of house church membership.

A call to prayer for Matthias has been issued by Iranian Christians, demanding his release and an end to Iran's persecution of converted Christians and other religious minorities.