Amir Ali Minaei's release from Evin Prison; a story of pressure, illness, and medical deprivation
Amirali Minaei (Stefan), a Christian citizen, was finally released with a "standard pardon" after enduring more than a year in Evin Prison, in conditions accompanied by physical problems and medical restrictions.
Amirali Minaei (Stefan), a Christian citizen, was released from Evin Prison on Wednesday, May 29, after serving a term of his sentence. His release came after he had been serving his sentence in this prison since May 1403. The charge against him was “preaching activity through the establishment of a house church.”
According to published information, the sentence for this citizen was issued in March 1403 by Judge Iman Afshari in the Revolutionary Court. In this sentence, he was sentenced to three years and seven months of penal servitude and five years of deprivation of social rights after the end of his imprisonment. However, after submitting to the verdict, the sentence was reduced to two years, five months and 28 days.
Amir Ali Minaei's first arrest dates back to December 1402, when he spent more than two months in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is run under the supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence. During this time, he was subjected to intensive interrogations and was eventually temporarily released after posting bail of around $10,000.
Reports indicate that the psychological stress of his initial detention and repeated threats of return to prison led to the Christian citizen developing heart problems between his temporary release and sentencing. Despite these circumstances, his requests for specialized medical care were denied during his imprisonment.
In one case, while following up on his medical condition, he was allegedly beaten by a prison officer, which led to a deterioration in his physical condition. Restrictions on phone calls and inadequate access to medical services also made his conditions difficult.
In protest of this situation, Amir Ali Minaei went on a hunger strike in Farvardin 1404. The strike ended after two days after prison officials agreed to limited access to medical services and telephone calls. Earlier, in January 1404, his request for conditional release was rejected due to his “refusal to cooperate with Ministry of Intelligence agents.”
Ultimately, the Christian citizen's freedom was achieved by placing his name on the list of those eligible for a "standard pardon," a type of pardon granted to certain eligible convicts on special occasions.
The case of Amir Ali Minaei has once again drawn attention to the situation of Christian citizens in Iran, especially in the areas of access to basic rights, healthcare, and fair trial.
