Shorosh Mohammadi Falah, Christian Believer, Sentenced to One Year Imprisonment and Fine

Shorosh Mohammadi Falah, a Christian believer residing in Tehran, was sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to one year of imprisonment and a monetary fine. Mr. Mohammadi Falah was arrested in June of last year by officers of the Sepah Intelligence Organization and was released on November 12 upon posting bail.

According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists’ Association in Iran, Shorosh Mohammadi Falah, a Christian believer residing in Tehran, was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to imprisonment and a monetary fine.

Based on the ruling issued and announced in February 1400 by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court under the presidency of Judge Iman Afshari, Mr. Mohammadi Falah was tried on charges including “action against national security through membership in an evangelical Christian house church” and was ultimately sentenced to one year imprisonment and payment of 5 million tomans as a fine.

Mr. Falah was arrested on June 27, 1400 by officers of the Sepah Intelligence Organization and transferred to one of this security agency’s detention centers in Tehran, where he was held in solitary confinement for 35 days. He was formally charged by Branch 3 of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office under the presidency of Judge Braei and was transferred to Tehran’s Greater Prison on September 1 when the interrogation process concluded.

On October 10 of last year, the final defense of this Christian believer was heard, and on November 12 he was temporarily released upon posting a 500 million tomans bail until the completion of legal proceedings.

It should be noted that although according to law Christians are recognized as a religious minority, security agencies pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and take coercive action against activists in this field.

The 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 this belief individually or collectively, and publicly or in private.

Source: Hrana