By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Friends of a detained Christian woman in Tehran urged fellow believers to pray for her on Wednesday after Iran’s authorities demanded $135,000 in local currency for her release.
Without bail money, Aida Najaflou remains in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran following her arrest for Christian activities some four months ago, Worthy News learned.
“Aida was arrested in Tehran in early 2025 and taken to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is operated by Iranian Intelligence,” confirmed advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC).
“Later, she was transferred to the women’s section of the prison,” MEC added.
Christians with close knowledge about the situation said she is facing trumped-up charges of “acting against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.”
Authorities want “a very large sum, 11 billion tomans (approximately $135,000)”
as bail. “Her family has been unable to provide this for Aida’s conditional release,” MEC told Worthy News.
PRAYERS URGED
“Please pray that God will give His comfort and peace to Aida and her family, that Aida will be released soon, and Iran will stop oppressing its Christian citizens, including converts,” MEC added.
Aida Najaflou is among numerous devout Christians recently detained by the Islamic Republic’s authorities. Among them are converts who angered authorities by abandoning Islam, Worthy News documented.
“Both leaders and ordinary members of Christian groups are often arrested, prosecuted and given long prison sentences for ‘crimes against national security’,” added advocacy group Open Doors.
“Recognised historical communities, such as Armenian and Assyrian Christians, are state-protected but treated as second-class citizens. They face many discriminatory legal provisions and are not allowed to worship in Persian or interact with Christian converts. Those who support converts can also face imprisonment,” added the group.
Open Doors ranks Iran 9th on its annual World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Netherlands’ prime minister says Dutch and German intelligence agencies have evidence of Russia’s widespread use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, raising concerns about the security of Europe and beyond.
The yearlong countdown towards America’s 250th birthday has begun with First Lady Melania Trump affectionately joining her husband, President Donald J. Trump, on the White House balcony.
Anxiety remained among religious Jews observing the Shabbat in Melbourne after an arsonist set fire to the door of a synagogue, forcing worshipers to flee, while elsewhere in the Australian city, protesters stormed an Israeli restaurant.
A troubling trend is emerging across the United States: increasing acts of hostility, vandalism, and violence against Christian churches. From arson to bomb threats, these incidents reflect what some are calling a spiritual crisis and a growing cultural hostility toward Christianity.
A sudden and violent flash flood in the Texas Hill Country has left at least 24 people dead and dozens more missing–many of them young girls attending Camp Mystic, a beloved Christian summer camp–after relentless storms swelled the Guadalupe River early Friday morning, washing away cabins, homes, and vehicles in its path.
In a dramatic Independence Day spectacle at the White House, President Donald Trump signed into law the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping legislative package that delivers on a wide array of his second-term promises and reshapes major sectors of the U.S. economy, tax system, and welfare programs.
Preparations are underway to establish a European Union-led alternative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of a new global marketplace that would challenge America’s economic clout.