Four Christian converts are summoned to prison, to serve their five years sentence
6-June-2020
Category: ethnic minorities
Breathing in Confinement: To serve their sentences, four Christian citizens who had previously been sentenced to five years in prison, received a summon from the court, on May 28. According to the summons, for each of these citizens, the same sentences were upheld, and they must appear at the prison within five days of receiving the summons.
“These Christian converts were arrested in the City of Rasht, in January/February 2019. And were later faced heavy sentences on charges of “acting against the national security,” reported Breathing in Confinement, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran.
On January 29, 2019, Hossein Kadivar and Khalil Pourdehghan were arrested at a home church meeting. Abdolreza (Matthias) Alihaghnejad also was arrested at his home on February 10, 2019. And on Friday, February 15, 2019, three other Christian converts, Mohammad Vafadar, Mohammad (Shahrooz) Islam Doust, and Kamal Romanian, were arrested at a home church meeting.
In addition, on Saturday, February 23, 2019, Babak Hosseinzadeh and Mehdi Khatibi were detained in a raid of security forces on two church homes, while Behnam Akhlaghi was summoned to the Revolutionary Guards Office on the same day.
In March, 2020, Hossein Kadivar, Khalil Dehghanpour, Kamal Nomanian and Mohammad Vafadar, each were released on bail amount of 150 million Tomans, for the legal process to be completed.
These Christian citizens were all arrested by security forces in January/February, 2019, in the City of Rasht, and were sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison.
In late October, 2019, in the Revolutionary Court- Branch 28, presided over by Judge Moghiseh, these four Christian converts were each sentenced to five years in prison, on charges of “acting against the national security.” Later, on February 25, 2020, in the absence of the defendants, the Court of Appeals upheld the verdicts.
It is noteworthy that the international organizations and human rights institutions, have repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic authorities for religious suppression against the minorities.