Lakan Prison in Rasht; Continued Detention and Uncertain Status of Three Christians
Hrana News Agency – Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparvast, Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh, and Mortaza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, three detained Christians, despite submitting their final defense statements at the prosecutor’s office, remain in uncertain status in Lakan Prison in Rasht. These three Christians were arrested in Ordibehesht of the current year by security forces.
According to Hrana News Agency, the news organ of the Iranian Human Rights Activists Network, Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparvast, Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh, and Mortaza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, three detained Christians, despite submitting their final defense statements at the prosecutor’s office, remain in uncertain status in Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Iman Soleimani, the defense lawyer of these citizens, stated in this regard: “The charges brought against these three Christians are stated as actions against national security and the establishment of a house church. The charge of establishing a house church, which was one of the charges in the previous case of these citizens, has appeared again in their new case.”
This judicial lawyer had previously stated regarding the situation of his clients: “These three citizens remain in uncertain status regarding their new case in prison while their previous case is still in the appeal stage and a final verdict has not been issued. In this case, without having committed any crime, they have been informed and a temporary detention order has been issued against them based on the charge of establishing a house church, which is one of the charges from the citizens’ previous case.”
Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparvast and Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh were arrested on the 18th of Ordibehesht by IRGC Intelligence agents at their residence and were ultimately transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht. Similarly, Mortaza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, a Christian believer residing in Rasht, was arrested on the 20th of Ordibehesht after reporting to the city’s prosecutor’s office and was transferred to Lakan Prison.
Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh, Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparvast, and Mortaza Hajeb Mashhood Kari were sentenced in Farvardin of this year by the Rasht Revolutionary Court regarding their previous case on charges including “establishing a house church, propaganda against the system, connections with Zionist missionary agents, and belonging to a sect outside the country,” each to 5 years and one day imprisonment and a fine of 180 million rials. Their appeal court hearing was held on the 2nd of Khordad in Branch 18 of Gilan Province’s Court of Appeals.
Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparvast, 25 years old, Ayoub (Farzin) Pourrezazadeh, 28 years old, and Mortaza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, 38 years old, are Christian believers and residents of Rasht.
It should be noted that although Christians are officially recognized as a religious minority under law, security agencies follow the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal forcefully with activists in this field.
Treatment of Christian believers in Iran occurs while 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 thought, conscience and religion, and freedom to manifest their religion or belief, either individually or in community with others and in public or private.
Source: Hrana
