Morteza Hajeb Mashoudkari, a Christian citizen, was arrested in Rasht.

HRANA News Agency – Morteza Hajeb Mashoudkari, a Christian citizen living in Rasht, was arrested on Tuesday, May 10, after going to the city's prosecutor's office and transferred to Lakan Prison.

According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Tuesday, May 10, 1402, Morteza Hajeb Mashoudhkari, a Christian citizen living in Rasht, was arrested and transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht.

Mr. Mashoud Kari was arrested after he went to the Rasht Prosecutor's Office .

Security forces were unable to arrest Morteza Hajeb Mashoudkari on Sunday, May 8, due to his absence from home. Iman Soleimani, the Christian citizen’s lawyer, previously told HRANA: “They had informed him by phone that he would be arrested if he did not report to the IRGC Intelligence Organization. When Mr. Hajeb Mashoudkari went to the prosecutor’s office, it was revealed that a new case had been opened for him in Branch 4 of the investigation.”

Morteza Hajeb Mashoudhkari was sentenced to 5 years and 1 day in prison and a fine of 180 million rials by the Rasht Revolutionary Court in April of this year on charges including “forming a house church, propagandizing against the regime, and having ties to Zionist missionaries and the Branhamist sect abroad.” His appeals court hearing will be held on June 2nd at Branch 18 of the Gilan Provincial Court of Appeal.

It is worth noting that despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority by law, the security services follow the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal with activists in this field with force.

The treatment of Christians in Iran is taking place despite the fact that, according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of religion and to change their religion with conviction, as well as the freedom to manifest it, individually or in community with others and in public or in private .