Christian Convert Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
Ismaeil Maghrebi-Nezhad, a Christian convert residing in Shiraz who was arrested by security forces in early Bahman of last year, has been sentenced to 3 years in prison by Shiraz Criminal Court.
The Iran Human Rights website announced on Thursday, 3 Bahman, that Branch 105 of Shiraz Criminal Court 2 has convicted this Christian convert to 3 years imprisonment on charges of “insulting sacred values in cyberspace.” In the coming weeks, the Shiraz Revolutionary Court is scheduled to examine another section of this Christian convert’s case on charges such as “propaganda against the system” and “membership in anti-system groups.”
According to the report, Ismaeil Maghrebi-Nezhad’s case has been divided into two sections. The hearing on the first section regarding charges of “insulting sacred values in cyberspace” and “apostasy” was held on 18 Dey at Branch 105 of Shiraz Criminal Court 2. The verdict was announced to him on Saturday, 21 Dey, acquitting him of the apostasy charge while convicting him on the other charge and sentencing him to prison.
According to the Iran Human Rights website, Ismaeil Maghrebi-Nezhad was arrested on 5 Bahman of last year by security forces following a home search and confiscation of personal items including “laptop, mobile phone, Christian books and daily writings.” On 30 Mehr, after being summoned to Branch 105 of Criminal Court 2 in this city and being informed of charges, his bail was increased from 10 million to 100 million tomans, and he was temporarily released pending the completion of legal proceedings.
Part of the report states that during the arrest of this Christian convert, judicial authorities told his family, who had attempted to obtain information about his detention location and fate by referring to judicial authorities, that “Ismaeil Maghrebi-Nezhad” was not being held in any of their detention centers and should be considered a “disappeared” person.
Prison sentences were issued for this Christian convert while Iranian Islamic Republic officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have repeatedly claimed that no one in Iran is prosecuted or convicted for expressing opinions.
Previously, Voice of America reported that 9 Christian converts named Abdol-Reza (Mathias) Alighqnezad, Shahrooz Eslamdoost, Behnam Ekhlaghi, Babak Hosseinzadeh, Mehdi Khatibi, Khalil Dehghanpour, Hossein Kadivar, Kamal Nemmanian, and Mohammad Vafadar were sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison by Branch 28 of Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of “actions against national security.”
Earlier, Sam Brownback, U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, told Voice of America: “Iran has the worst record in the U.S. State Department among countries engaged in persecution of religious minorities, and this regime persecutes any religious minority it deems inappropriate.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in remarks during the unveiling of the annual religious freedom report, stated that the suppression of Baha’is, Christians, and other religious and confessional minorities in Iran remains a serious concern.
International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly condemned the persecution and imprisonment of followers of religious minorities in Iran.
Source: Voice of America
