Court Rejected Meeting and Farewell Between Conscience Prisoner and His Mother
Ibrahim Firouzi’s brother told the Campaign that their mother passed away while her only wish over the past year was Ibrahim’s freedom, and she inquired about her son until the last moments of her life, hoping he would be released from prison. Mohammad Firouzi told the Campaign that their mother, due to breast cancer and vision problems, was unable to visit the prison, and judicial authorities ignored his repeated requests for a prison furlough.
Kabri Kamrani, Ibrahim’s mother, passed away on December 3, 2018 at her home after a year of fighting breast cancer without meeting her son one last time. Ibrahim Firouzi has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times for changing his religion and converting to Christianity. He was last arrested on March 9, 2013 for religious propaganda and distributing books about Christianity, and was released after two months upon posting bail. The court trial of this Christian convert took place in April 2015 in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Moghisseh of the Islamic Republic. According to the court ruling, Ibrahim Firouzi was sentenced to five years imprisonment on charges of forming an illegal group and acting against national security, and when the sentence became final on September 16, 2013, he was transferred to Evin Prison and later exiled to Rajai Shahr Prison.
Mr. Firouzi, a 32-year-old lathe worker and resident of Robat Karim, has been arrested and tried three times so far on charges of converting to Christianity and holding religious meetings. This Christian convert was arrested in December 2009 due to Christian propaganda activities after being summoned twice by security agencies, and was transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. According to an informed source, he was told during interrogations that if he declared himself a Muslim, he would be released, otherwise he would be tried. In this case, Ibrahim Firouzi was accused of “propaganda against the system” and “insulting sacred values” due to his conversion to Christianity and propaganda activities. He was acquitted of the charge of insulting sacred values but was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to five months imprisonment and five months suspended sentence on the charge of propaganda against the system. This ruling was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, and he was released from Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj on June 9, 2011.
Mr. Firouzi was arrested for the second time on March 9, 2013 due to “attempting to launch a Christian theology education website” and was taken to Evin Prison, and was released after two months upon posting bail. The Robat Karim Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Babaei sentenced him to one year imprisonment on the charge of “propaganda against the system” through holding religious classes and two years exile to Sarbaaz city in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Although the court ruling stated that Mr. Firouzi said he had no opposition to the Islamic government, this sentence was also confirmed by the Court of Appeal.
This Christian convert was arrested for the third time on September 16, 2013 and transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison. According to an informed source, he was held in Rajai Shahr Prison for four days without being informed of the charges, and then was transferred to Ward 240 of Evin Prison. According to this source, his interrogations in Evin Prison involved “insults and ideological searches” to obtain forced confessions. Interrogators also addressed matters for which Mr. Firouzi had previously been interrogated and tried.
In April 2015, Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Moghisseh sentenced Ibrahim Firouzi to five years imprisonment on the charge of “forming a group with the intent of undermining national security” under Article 498 of the Penal Code. According to Mr. Firouzi’s relatives, he rejected forming a group or the intent to undermine national security throughout all legal proceedings, and part of the evidence in the issued ruling consisted of activities for which Mr. Firouzi had previously been tried and convicted.
Source: Human Rights Campaign
