Three Christian citizens summoned to serve prison sentence/Document
HRANA News Agency – Joseph Shahbazian, Somayeh (Sonia) Sadegh, and Mina Khajoo Qomi, Christian citizens, were summoned to Branch 1 of the Evin Courthouse for the execution of their prison sentences.
According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, Christian citizens Joseph Shahbazian, Somayeh (Sonia) Sadegh, and Mina Khajoo Ghomi were summoned to Evin Prosecutor's Office by a notice to execute their prison sentences.
According to the notice issued on Monday, September 27, by Branch 1 of the Evin Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office for the Execution of Sentences and notified to Iman Soleimani, the defense attorney of these citizens, these citizens have been asked to appear at the aforementioned branch within 1 day of the date of posting this notice on the Sana system.
Earlier on August 16, Branch 36 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court of Appeals upheld the sentences of Joseph Shahbazian to 10 years in prison, deprivation of social rights, a ban on leaving the country, a ban on membership in gangs and groups, and exile, Mina Khajoui to 6 years in prison, and Somayeh Sadegh to 4 years in prison, with her sentence converted to a fine of 40 million Tomans.
In this regard, Iman Soleimani told HRANA: “The verdict was confirmed without considering the established legal and jurisprudential principles, the principle of correspondence, the principle of the legality of the crime and punishment, and other principles of procedural law and the right to defense, and without holding a hearing, and without considering the detailed and substantiated defenses.”
These citizens have been accused of cases including "forming an illegal gang or group with the aim of disrupting the country's security, acting against national security by preaching missionary Christianity, and forming a house church."
The court hearing to hear the charges against these Christian citizens was held on June 26 of this year at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, and in a notification on June 7, the branch, headed by Iman Afshari, sentenced them to a total of 16 years in prison, a fine, deprivation of social rights, and a ban on leaving the country.
Joseph Shahbazian, a 57-year-old citizen of Armenian descent, was arrested in July 2019 along with a number of Christian converts at a religious ceremony in the Yaftabad area of Tehran. In August of the same year, Mr. Shahbazian was temporarily released on bail of two billion tomans. Somayeh Sadegh and Mina Khajou Qomi were also arrested and later temporarily released on bail.
Source: HRANA
