15-Year Prison Sentence Issued for Three Christian Believers in Rasht

The Rasht Revolutionary Court sentenced three Christian believers to a combined 15 years imprisonment and 180 million rials in fines.

Morteza Hajeb Mashhud-Kari, Ahmad (John) Sarparast, and Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh have each been sentenced to five years and one day in prison and ordered to pay monetary fines.

Article 18 Organization, an active body in the field of Christian rights in Iran, reported two months ago that the case of these three Christian believers was being heard in Branch 2 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Hossein Mousavi.

This human rights advocacy organization stated that a report from the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps formed the basis of the charges against these individuals and the preparation of an indictment against them.

The charges against these three Christian believers include “action against national security,” “propaganda against the system,” “establishing a home church,” and “connection with organizations outside the country and receiving money.”

Morteza Hajeb Mashhud-Kari, Ahmad Sarparast, and Ayoub Pourrezazadeh have rejected these charges and say they have engaged in no activities other than their own religious worship.

These individuals were arrested in September of last year following a search of their homes and confiscation of documents and personal belongings by officials from the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and were later released on bail.

Christian believers in Iran, in addition to arrest and imprisonment, face security pressures and other deprivations, including the closure of home churches, prohibition of religious activities in the Persian language, and denial of educational access.

“Violation of the rights of religious minorities” in Iran has consistently been a key subject of United Nations resolutions and reports by human rights organizations in recent years.

Javid Rahman, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, accused the Islamic Republic authorities one month ago in his latest report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva of discrimination and violation of the rights of religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Sunni Muslims, and Gonabadi Dervishes.

Source: Voice of America