Trial of four Iranian Christian activists on charges of promoting Christianity!
Four Iranian Christian activists summoned to court on charges of promoting Christianity!
Four Iranian Christian activists, Amin Khaki, Hossein Baronzadeh (Daniel), Mohammad Bahrami, and Rahman Bahmani (Zia), were summoned to court on Monday, February 1, 2016, on charges of promoting Christianity.
On Wednesday, March 4, 2013, these individuals, who had gone to the outskirts of Shush for fun along with four others, namely Hossein Etemadifar (Yonatan), Salimeh Rahimi (Marta), Fatemeh Bagheri, and Amineh Moalla, were arrested by security forces who drove three cars and a minibus to the place where these individuals were having fun, presenting a warrant that only listed the names of Amin Khaki and Hossein Baronzadeh. The reason for the arrest was stated to be promoting Christianity.
Some time later, Hossein Etemadifar (Yonatan), Salimeh Rahimi (Marta), Fatemeh Bagheri, and Amineh Moalla were released. Hossein Baronzadeh (Daniel), Mohammad Bahrami, and Rahman Bahmani (Zia) were transferred to the security ward of Karun Prison, Hall No. 8.
After that, after a long detention in the press headquarters of the Ministry of Intelligence in Ahvaz and a severe beating, the effects of which were visible on his body, Amin Khaki was transferred to Karun Prison in Ahvaz on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. After serving about 10 months in prison, he was released on bail on January 4 of last year .
While Iran was ranked as the ninth most anti-Christian country in the world last year on the Open Doors annual list , Christian converts in Iran are constantly facing charges such as acting against national security, propagandizing against the system, and apostasy, which carry long prison sentences or death sentences that can be commuted to long prison terms on appeal.
Iran's inclusion on the red list published by Open Doors is an indication of the extreme persecution of Christians. The situation in Iran has not only changed, but has also worsened, given Hassan Rouhani's promises before the presidential election regarding the rights of religious minorities.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the Iranian government is one of the countries that has committed to implementing, states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought and religion; this right includes freedom to dissent, to change religion, and freedom, either alone or in community with others, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance, in public or private.
However, the Islamic Republic continues to refuse to implement what it has committed to, and religious minorities in Iran continue to be persecuted. It is clear that the Iranian government, by disregarding its commitment, has transformed the country's law into a mono-religious law of compulsory Shia Islam, and all rights and privileges are given to Shia Islamic worship. The violations of the rights of Christians, Baha'is, Jews, and Sunni Muslims carried out by extremist Shia Muslim elements are fully supported by the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei.
