Indictment Issued Against Five Christian Citizens on Security Charges
Evin Prosecutor’s Office issued an indictment against five Christian citizens on baseless charges.
According to recently published reports, Evin Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, June 10, issued an indictment against five Christian citizens—”Lida Alexani,” “Aida Najafloo,” “Joseph Shahbazian,” and “Nasser Gol-Tapeh”—and another citizen who wished to remain anonymous, charging them with “propaganda against the system” and “assembly and conspiracy against internal and external security.”
The indictment was issued through a 26-page final decision by “Mojtaba Jabarian,” interrogator of the Third Section of Evin Prosecutor’s Office, solely on the basis of peaceful and belief-based activities. The decision criminalizes “establishing, launching and directing home churches, conducting house meetings of evangelical Christianity, and performing religious ceremonies including baptism and the Lord’s Supper.”
Baptism and participation in the Lord’s Supper ceremonies have repeatedly been recognized as crimes in court against Christian citizens, resulting in sentences including imprisonment and flogging. The indictment begins with a quote from Ali Khamenei in which promotion of home churches is mentioned as a security threat against the foundations of the Islamic system and actions of enemies of Islam.
In 2010, Ali Khamenei explicitly stated in a speech in Qom that home churches are tools of enemies of the Islamic Republic to weaken religion in society. The general prosecutor’s office interrogator, referring to Ali Khamenei’s statements, criminalized praying for Christians in home churches, participating in Christmas celebrations, performing baptism, holding the Lord’s Supper ceremonies, and participating in seminars on Christian doctrine education, and requested punishment for these acts. He also described the Bible as prohibited goods and a tool of crime in this indictment.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, Aida Najafloo is also accused of “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic system in cyberspace and propaganda in favor of groups or organizations opposing the Islamic Republic system through publishing various stories on social networks, insulting the clergy and leaders of Lebanese resistance, particularly Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, and supporting Israel.” Aida is also accused of “blackening the image of the Islamic Republic” for repeating the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” and supporting protesters of the nationwide uprising.
The indictment case has been referred to Branch 15 of the Tehran Islamic Revolution Court headed by Judge Abolqasem Qazi Solwati. A judge who has issued the most death sentences and severe punishments for political protesters, civil activists, and members of religious minority communities, particularly Christians.
Known as the “Death Judge,” he was placed on the sanctions list by the European Union and the United States for widespread human rights violations including depriving defendants of fair trial and the right to a chosen lawyer, using severe pressure to extract forced confessions, and violent treatment of defendants.
