Ibrahim Firouzi, Christian Convert, Sent to Sarbaaz County to Serve Exile Sentence

Ibrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert who was previously sentenced to five years in prison, completed his prison sentence and was released from jail to serve his exile sentence in Sarbaaz County.

An informed source told Voice of America that this Christian convert, who was released from Rajaei Shahr Prison in Karaj on November 4 after serving his prison sentence, departed for Sarbaaz County located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province on Tuesday, November 21 to serve his two-year exile sentence, and introduced himself to the General and Revolutionary Court of Rasht.

In Ordibehesht 1392 (April-May 2013), Ibrahim Firouzi was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Robat Karim County to one year in prison and two years of exile in Sarbaaz County in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, one of Iran’s deprived provinces, on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic system,” “establishing and directing a deviant Christian sect called Basharat,” and “launching a Christian website.”

According to the informed source, he was arrested by security forces in Shahrivar of the same year, only one month after the ruling was issued, and transferred to Rajaei Shahr Prison.

While serving his sentence in prison, this Christian convert was sentenced in Farvardin 1394 (March-April 2015) in a separate case by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Mogisseh, to five years of punitive imprisonment on charges of “forming a group with the intent to disturb national security.”

The informed source told Voice of America that Mr. Firouzi was denied access to medical services during his imprisonment and was also denied furlough. Prison authorities even prevented him from being granted leave after his mother’s death in Azar 1397 (November-December 2018).

Representatives of 33 countries, including the United States, in a periodic session reviewing the human rights situation in Iran, criticized violations of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran.

Previously, international human rights organizations and the U.S. State Department have repeatedly condemned the Islamic Republic’s treatment of religious minorities and violations of their civil rights.

Source: Voice of America