Christian Citizen ‘Mina Khajavi’ Released After Approximately 22 Months of Imprisonment

‘Mina Khajavi,’ a Christian citizen, was released from Evin Prison yesterday after enduring approximately 22 months of imprisonment.

Christian citizen Mina Khajavi was released on Tuesday, the 29th of Mehr, corresponding to October 21, after enduring nearly 22 months of imprisonment in Evin Prison. This release followed the issuance of a circular in the form of a “pardon.”

Khajavi had previously been forced to abandon his treatment program and enter prison by order of the judicial authority in December 2023. Prior to that, his entry into prison had been delayed several times due to a severe car accident and an ankle injury. According to news sources, he was subsequently forced to have a cast installed to stabilize his broken ankle.

Some reports also indicated that medical requests and correspondences for postponement of sentence execution had been raised, but ultimately these postponements had no effect on the execution of the sentence.

Mina Khajavi was arrested in June 2020 while participating in a worship ceremony at the home of a Christian citizen in the Yaft Abad area of Tehran, along with several other local Christians. During interrogations at that time, he was subjected to multiple pressures.

In June 2022, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on charges of “acting against national security through promoting evangelical Christianity and establishing a home church.” After his appeal for retrial was rejected, his sentence was ultimately reduced to two years in late 2023.

Despite delays caused by his physical condition, Khajavi entered Evin Prison on January 8, 2024 to serve his sentence. During his imprisonment, he was sometimes held in solitary confinement, particularly in cell 209, and was subjected to interrogations.

During the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict, it was reported that some political prisoners were transferred from Evin Prison to Qarchak Prison, and it is said that Mina was among those transferred. Sanitary conditions in prisons, particularly in Qarchak Prison, have been severely criticized by human rights organizations over the years.

During his imprisonment, multiple reports indicated Khajavi’s serious physical condition. He suffers from arthritis and sometimes had to live with severe pain, despite having severely limited access to specialized medical care.

One of his hardships was that to climb to upper bunks in his cell, he was forced to put pressure on his injured ankle, which was problematic for someone with an ankle injury. It was also reported that at times, only simple painkillers were made available to him, and full treatment or physical therapy was not approved for him.

Relatives and human rights activists claim that security agencies use deprivation of medical treatment or leave for political prisoners as a tool for pressure and “repentance-making.”

Mina Khajavi’s release after nearly two years of imprisonment came despite his facing a heavy conviction, but through sentence reduction and the granting of a pardon, he was freed from his cell and is now released. This event could become a symbol of the efforts of religious freedom advocacy groups both inside and outside Iran.

However, the lack of transparency in judicial proceedings, numerous ambiguities about the validity of the charges, and inadequate conditions for political prisoners remain fundamental problems. Khajavi’s release offers some hope for reform or international pressure, but until the overall situation of political prisoners changes, these cases will be seen as exceptions.

On the international level, cases such as Mina Khajavi’s reflect the pressure on religious freedom in Iran. Human rights organizations and Christian associations worldwide often view these cases as evidence of suppression of peaceful religious activities and call for global intervention to ensure freedom of belief.