Ethnic Armenians detained in Iran for violating public order

The nine Christians detained three months ago in the Iranian town of Hamadan have not yet faced official charges for preaching the Bible, the Russian website Sedmitsa.ru reported.

Citing a report by the security service, the Iranian media say that the Christian community members were detained "for an attempt to violate the state order of the Islamic Republic of Iran".

The media have published the names of four detainees, of whom three are ethnic Armenians – Vahik Abrahamyan, his wife Sona Keshih Havhannesian and Arash Kermanjan. All the detainees are Iranian citizens.

Security officers reportedly broke into Abrahamyan's apartment and arrested him and his wife, as well as two other Christians who were in their house at the time.