The death of "Ibrahim Firoozi", a Christian citizen in Rabat-e-Karim

"Ibrahim Firouzi", a Christian citizen living in Rabat-e Karim, passed away.

Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian citizen and former prisoner of conscience who converted from Islam to Christianity, died on Tuesday, March 2, and was buried next to his mother's tomb yesterday, Thursday, March 2.

Ebrahim Firouzi was arrested in January 2009 for “converting to Christianity” and sentenced to 10 months in prison in 2010. He was also arrested in March 2013 on charges of “Christian propaganda.” His arrest in March 2013 came at a time when, in September 2013, Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Moghiseh, sentenced him to one year in prison and two years in exile to Sarbaz County, located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, one of the deprived provinces of Iran, on charges of “Christian propaganda against the system,” “establishing and leading a deviant Christian evangelical organization,” and “attempting to create a website for his ideological activities.” This unjust sentence was later confirmed by the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal.

In April 2015, while he was serving his sentence in prison, he was sentenced to five years in prison by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Moghiseh, on charges of "forming a group with the intention of disrupting the country's security," following a separate case. This sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeal in January 2016.

Ebrahim Firouzi, who was imprisoned as a prisoner of conscience in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, went on a hunger strike in July 2017 to protest the cruel sentences handed down to other Christian citizens imprisoned in the political ward of Evin Prison, such as Amin Afshar Nadari.

Ibrahim Firuzi's mother had repeatedly appealed to the authorities to release her son and Christians, including her son, but unfortunately her efforts were in vain. She died in December 2018 without seeing her son Ibrahim, and prison officials prevented her from going on leave after her mother's death.  

Ebrahim Firoozi, 38, has been in prison and exile for more than seven years because of his Christian faith and peaceful religious activity. Even in prison, despite the persecution and torture of regime agents, he resisted his beliefs and did not renounce his faith in Christianity. He went on hunger strikes many times in prison and was physically weakened due to physical and mental torture. Even his eyesight was in danger and he needed help, but he was denied access to medical services and the right to leave. Despite the persecution and torture, Mr. Firoozi had repeatedly written highly critical letters in prison in support of other prisoners, against the authorities and officials.

In one of his letters, he protested the situation of labor activist Behnam Ebrahimzadeh in prison and criticized the government's structural injustice. He wrote in the letter: "My question is, Mr. Judiciary of the Islamic Republic, which has for years violated human rights and made observance of fairness and justice among government officials meaningless, can it teach those who are responsible for decision-making in prisons to observe justice?"

Ibrahim Firuzi was arrested many times by the regime forces, and the main reason for his arrests was the distribution of the Bible in various ways, both through printed and digital versions. Not only Ibrahim Firuzi, but many other Christians have had their Bibles confiscated by the regime forces, whose homes and house churches are attacked, and which are used as evidence in court.

Mr. Firouzi was imprisoned and exiled on charges of “insulting sacred places” and “propaganda against the regime through the promotion of Christianity,” without providing any credible evidence. He had also repeatedly defended civil movements in Iran and freedom of expression, from supporting truck drivers’ strikes to protesting internet blocking.

He was released from Rajai Shahr Prison in 2019 and exiled to Rask in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. During his exile, he was also harassed by the Ministry of Intelligence, and Mr. Firouzi had spoken about the harassment and persecution by the Ministry of Intelligence in video messages. However, regardless of the harassment and persecution by the regime, he also defended and helped the citizens of Rask. By collecting donations from the public, he bought shoes, backpacks, and stationery for students who went to school barefoot and without shoes or adequate facilities. He even collected financial donations to build toilets for schools in the villages around Rask.

Ibrahim Firoozi has repeatedly emphasized his steadfastness in his Christian faith in his messages and writings, and despite the regime's intense pressure on him and his family, he wrote: "Nothing, not threats from the Ministry of Intelligence, not money, etc., will keep me away from the love of Christ."

According to those present at his funeral, Mr. Firoozi's family stated that the cause of death was a heart attack, but his family and friends considered his death at the age of 38 suspicious. Despite being a Christian, his relatives buried him in a Muslim cemetery according to Islamic customs and held a ceremony for him in a mosque, regardless of whether he was a Christian believer. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalms 116:15

It should be noted that representatives of 33 European Parliament countries and the United States of America, in a periodic meeting to review the human rights situation in Iran, criticized the violation of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran and condemned the repeated actions of the Islamic Republic government against religious minorities and the violation of their civil rights. Iran ranked ninth in the meeting to review the human rights situation in the world, under the title of anti-Christian country.