Iran is a dangerous place for Christians. So I was a bit surprised when I noticed a headline indicating that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani had been granted a brief reprieve from the infamous Evin Prison.

Nadarkhani, a Christian convert from a Muslim family, became a well-known name among religious freedom advocates abroad after his detention more than 15 years ago. His death sentence was eventually overturned in September 2012 after international outcry, but he was then arrested again in 2018. After a brutal invasion of his home, authorities sent him to Evin to serve a sentence for “promoting Zionist Christianity.”

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But recently Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) announced that Iranian officials permitted Nadarkhani a 5-day furlough during which he was able to spend time with his family. Like many, my heart lifted at this news — even if it was only a short respite. But the question that kept coming to mind was, “Why?” Why this mercy, if that was what it was? And, if not, why the short break?

CSW said the reason for the furlough “is not currently clear,” and reminded readers that he was required to return to prison after 5 days. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) did not speculate on the reasoning for this reprieve either, but USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza called it “a welcome development following years of detention and a serious illness in Evin Prison.”

She added, “We call on Iran to fully release Pastor Nadarkhani and all other individuals serving prison sentences on the basis of their religious beliefs.”

In that petition is an important reminder. My nature is to cautiously stay open to rays of light — to believe no darkness is truly impenetrable. But we must remember that Iran is very dark. USCIRF has documented escalating repression of Christians and other minorities, and Open Doors USA actually ranks Iran #8 on its list of top Christian persecutors.

Open Doors notes, “Christians in Iran know that they can be arrested at any time and charged with serious infractions that will send them to prison for years. Many are now serving time under the banner of ‘acting against national security.’ The so-called crime behind the arrests is simply attending a house church to worship Jesus privately with other believers.”

That insight sadly came into particular focus this week when — even as the Nadarkhani furlough news emerged — Iran imprisoned a Christian woman for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an Evangelical Christian church.” Authorities sent Fariba Dalir to that same dark place that has held Nardakhani and other believers: Evin Prison.

Marziyeh Amirizadeh, another Christian woman who suffered in Evin for 259 days, recently described that terrible place in a British news article. She described filth, disgusting food, violence, and no medical care for Christians like her. The prison is “something from a horror movie,” she said.

Amirizadeh added, “As for the guards, their job was to humiliate us, to break our spirit and make us confess to whatever false charges they created. We were just animals to them.”

Evin in so bad that it was even sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2018 for “brutal tactics inflicted by prison authorities, including sexual assaults, physical assaults, and electric shock.” While Iranian authorities try to downplay such stories, surveillance footage of beatings, neglect, and other mistreatment of prisoners leaked last year corroborate the allegations.

With all this in mind — not to mention Iran’s hardline threat to our nation and, most particularly, Israel — it is easy to look past the Nadarkhani furlough as an anomaly. Or perhaps it was no kindness at all.

But what if it is somehow a fissure of light? It would not be the only one. Open Doors reported earlier this year on a “stunning decision” from an Iranian court finding that 9 Christians were not subverting state security simply because they worshiped as Christians. Of course, the darkness remains. In fact, authorities have already moved against several of those acquitted with additional charges. But the ruling is worthy of note.

So what can we do? How could we pray? Open Doors offers this idea for intercessors: “Pray that God will open the eyes of the authorities to see that Christians aren’t a threat to Iran but a valuable part of Iranian society. Ask Him to change the hearts of those in charge, that they may even see the hope of Jesus.”

As you see Iran in the news in the weeks ahead, would you pray for the light of our Lord to overcome the torturous and tyrannical darkness there? And let’s pray for life and liberty for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Aaron Mercer is a Contributing Writer with two decades of experience in Washington, D.C.’s public policy arena. Photo Credit: mostafa meraji on Unsplash.