Arrest of a Christian believer upon return to Iran; New dimensions of a joint case
Mehran Shamloui, a Christian believer who had previously been sentenced to a long term in prison, was arrested by security forces at Mashhad Airport on Friday, July 4, upon entering Iran.
His arrest comes as more details of his joint case with two other believers, Narges Nasri and Abbas Souri, have been released.
According to human rights sources, Mr. Shamloui was immediately transferred to a security detention center in Mashhad after his arrest. He is scheduled to be transferred to Tehran on Monday by order of a judicial authority to serve his prison sentence.
These three Christian believers were sentenced to a total of more than 41 years in prison by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges such as “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law,” “membership in opposition groups of the country,” and “propaganda against the system.” Mr. Shamloui’s sentence includes 10 years and 8 months in prison, payment of a fine, and 11 years of deprivation of social rights. This sentence was confirmed on May 23 of this year by Branch 36 of the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal.
Reports indicate that the initial arrest of these individuals took place in November of last year during a coordinated operation in Tehran, and they were temporarily released on bail after being interrogated in Ward 209 of Evin Prison.
The issuance of these heavy sentences and Mr. Shamloui's re-arrest have sparked widespread reactions from human rights organizations and increased concerns about the state of religious freedom in Iran.
