Iran: Seven Christians Detained Following Raid on Prayer Meeting

Seven Christians from the Church of Iran denomination were detained Oct. 12 following a raid by members of the security services on a house in the city of Shiraz in Iran's Fars Province, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports. The Christians are currently being held in Plaque 100, the Intelligence Ministry's notorious detention center. They were detained around 6 p.m. after security forces raided a house where a prayer meeting was underway. According to sources, older people who had attended the prayer gathering were threatened but not taken into custody. The detentions are part of a marked upsurge in a campaign of harassment of Christians of all denominations, with reports of a significant increase of arrests during recent weeks.