Iran’s Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentences for Five Christians; 48 Years Total Imprisonment for Religious Activities
Iran’s appeals court has upheld prison sentences for five Christian citizens, including Joseph Shahbazian, Nasser Noor Delgtape, Aida Najafloo, and Lida Alkhsani, totaling 48 years of imprisonment. Religious freedom advocacy organizations view these rulings as examples of the Islamic Republic’s continued pressure on Christians and Farsi-speaking Christian citizens who face security charges solely for peaceful religious activities.
According to a report by Article 18, Iran’s appeals court has upheld sentences against the five Christian citizens. Accordingly, Joseph Shahbazian, Aida Najafloo, Nasser Noor Delgtape, and another Christian citizen have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Lida Alkhsani received an 8-year sentence; collectively amounting to 48 years of enforceable imprisonment. These individuals were previously sentenced to a combined 71 years, part of which is not enforceable under Iranian law.
According to Article 18, the charges against these citizens primarily relate to religious activities, organizing home gatherings, promoting Christianity among Farsi speakers, and possession of Bibles in the Persian language. The indictment of Joseph Shahbazian states that he views his missionary work as fulfilling the mission of “spreading the Gospel to all nations,” a charge the prosecution has classified as criminal.
In the case of Nasser Noor Delgtape, possession of multiple copies of the Bible in Persian was cited as evidence of the charges. In his defense, he stated that studying and possessing the Bible is an inseparable part of Christian faith and that he intended to share Christian teachings with those close to him. Religious freedom organizations have repeatedly stated that in recent years, many Christian citizens in Iran have been persecuted solely for possessing or distributing Bibles in the Persian language.
These five Christian citizens were arrested in February 2024 during raids by security forces on the homes of several Christian families in Tehran and Parand. Reports indicate that extremely high bail amounts, totaling up to 30 billion tomans, were set for the temporary release of some of them. Additionally, Aida Najafloo, who suffered severe spinal cord damage while in prison, was returned to prison despite requiring continued medical treatment, raising concerns among human rights organizations about her health condition.
Meanwhile, a recent report by the UK Foreign Office on the situation of Armenian Christians and converted Christians in Iran emphasizes that Islamic Republic authorities continue to persecute Christian citizens, leaders of house churches, and those participating in missionary activities, with charges such as “propaganda against the system,” “promoting evangelical Christianity,” and crimes related to national security. The report also documents an increase in long-term prison sentences issued against these citizens in recent years.
International religious freedom organizations, including Article 18, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Open Doors, have repeatedly expressed concern about the use of security charges against Iranian Christians and have called on the Islamic Republic to cease prosecuting citizens for their beliefs and peaceful religious activities.
