Iran: Fifteen years in prison for Ex-Muslim Christians

The Rasht Revolutionary Court sentenced three Christian new believers to a total of 15 years in prison and a fine of 180 million rials.

Morteza Hajib Mashhudkari, Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast and Ayub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh were each sentenced to five years and one day in prison and fined.

They were charged with "acting against national security," "propaganda against the regime," "forming a house church," and "associating with foreign organizations and receiving money."

"We have no organizational ties with abroad, we have not received any funds from abroad, we are only worshiping Christians according to the Bible, and we have not propagandized against the system or taken any action against national security," the defendants said.

They were arrested by Revolutionary Guards intelligence agents in September of last year after searching their homes and confiscating their personal documents and belongings.

In addition to detention and imprisonment, Christian new believers in Iran face security pressures and other deprivations, including the closure of house churches, the ban on religious activities in Persian language, and their deprivation of education.

"Violation of the rights of religious minorities" in Iran in recent years has always been one of the headlines of UN resolutions and reports of human rights organizations.

 

_{Source and Credit: VOA, CP}