Arrest and search of homes of Christian citizens in Karaj city

Intelligence Ministry agents raided the homes of Christian citizens in Karaj and arrested several people.

Every year, as Christmas approaches and Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Iran, agents of the Islamic Republic regime raid the homes or workplaces of Christians and arrest them. In recent years, pressure on Christians and attacks on their homes and house churches have intensified, especially on the eve of Christmas.

According to "Article 18", in the past two days, agents of the Ministry of Intelligence raided two houses and a shop in Karaj belonging to Christian citizens, arrested four people, and confiscated their personal belongings, including phones, laptops, etc. Among those arrested was "Milad Goodarzi", a former prisoner of conscience, who was also arrested.

Intelligence Ministry agents conducted house searches with a court warrant. Two of the detainees, Alireza and Amir, are being held in an unknown location, and no information is available about the charges against them.

Milad Goodarzi, a member of the house church, was sentenced to three years in prison in 1400 for peaceful religious activity, but was pardoned and released in March of last year. He was arrested again by the authorities on Monday, December 10, 1402. It should be noted that Amin Khaki and Alireza Noormohammadi were also summoned to court with him in November 1400, and all three of them were sentenced to a total of 9 years in prison. The charges against them were “propaganda and deviant education activities contrary to the holy law of Islam.”

According to Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, which was notified to the judiciary by the government in late February of last year (1401) for implementation, committing any other deviant educational or propaganda activity contrary to the holy law of Islam in the real or virtual space, or creating psychological and physical dominance over a person in the form of a sect or any other organized criminal group, is considered a crime.

The charges brought against the three individuals are not based on changes made to what is known as Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, and for the first time, this article was implemented to punish Christian citizens.

According to Amnesty International, the Leader of the Islamic Republic has agreed to release prisoners in order to quell international protests, but he violates the human rights of these citizens by sending them to prison on false charges and without providing any documents or evidence, and then releases these same prisoners who have been victims of the government's injustice in the name of amnesty and forgiveness.