WASHINGTON, D.C. / YEMEN (ANS) -- Yemeni authorities have arrested seven Christians, including an unknown number of American citizens, in the Yemeni province of Hodiada.

According to the Yemeni news website Sahwa Net, the Christians are charged with “promoting to Christianity and distributing the Bible [sic].” The paper does not clarify if the Christians were formally charged in a court of law based on those allegations.

The Washington, D.C.-based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org  said the believers were arrested on June 18, 2008, The seven Christians were transferred to the capital city of Sana'a and the Yemeni authorities are investigating them. The ICC sources indicated that the Christians face the possibility of being tortured by Yemeni Security forces.

ICC says that among the arrested is Hadni Dohni, a Yemeni Muslim who converted to Christianity. The rest of the six are foreigners.

In a media release, ICC explains that Christians living in Muslim countries are coming under increasing persecution.

The group says: "Christians in Iran, Egypt and Algeria have seen a spike in anti-Christian activity. This recent imprisonment of Christians in Yemen is part of a growing persecution of Christians in Islamic countries."

Please pray for the safety of these seven Christians, and that the Lord will protect them from torture and other types of mistreatment. Please pray for strength and courage for the seven as they go through this difficult situation, and that they will be released quickly.

You can also help by calling US or Yemeni officials about the seven Christians. Please go to www.house.gov  and www.senate.gov  to find the contact information for your elected officials and alert them to the imprisonment of these seven Christians. Make sure you let them know that Americans were detained as well. Ask them to put pressure on the government of Yemen to release them. You can find contact information for Yemeni embassies below:

Yemeni Embassies:

Country Phone Fax Email

USA:
(202) 965-4760; (202) 337-2017 ambassador@yemenembassy.org , political@yemenembassy.org  
Canada :
(613) 729-6627; (613) 729-8915 info@yemenincandada.org  
UK :
(+44) 207 584 6607; (+44) 207 589 3350 yemen.embassy@btconnect.com  
Germany:
(030) 897305-0 ;(030) 897305-62

info@botschaft-jemen.de

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the State Department. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

Contact: Darara Gubo, Regional Manager for Africa, 1-800-ICC (422)-5441, darara@persecution.org .

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of ACT International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (ACT) International.