Three Billion Toman Bail Set for Release of Joseph Shahbazian, Home Church Leader

The court has set a bail of three billion tomans for the temporary release of Joseph Shahbazian, a former member of the Jama’at Rabbani Church in Tehran and leader of a home church, who was arrested three weeks ago on the 10th of Tir month during a security raid on a Christian worship gathering in Yaft Abad, Tehran.

During the security forces’ raid on the home church gathering in Yaft Abad, Tehran, in addition to Mr. Shahbazian, 56 years old, approximately 30 people were present at the meeting. “Article 18 Organization” confirms that at least 35 Christian citizens were arrested, interrogated, or imprisoned following a coordinated raid three weeks ago by security forces on the homes of Christians in three cities—Tehran, Karaj, and Malayer—on the 10th and 11th of Tir month. According to some reports received by “Article 18 Organization,” the number of these Christian citizens exceeds 50 people.

Eyewitnesses say some of those arrested were also beaten.

Currently, only Mr. Shahbazian remains in detention. Among the Christians arrested on the 10th and 11th of Tir month, “Farhad Khazaei,” “Salar Eshragh Moghadam,” and “Mina Khajavi” have each been released on bail of one billion and 200 million tomans. The court had initially set bail for these individuals at 800 million tomans, but upon payment it increased to one billion and 200 million tomans with the inclusion of “certain additional expenses.”

At least thirteen Christian converts who were arrested for peaceful theological activities in Tehran, Karaj, and Malayer have been charged with “propaganda against the system” and “action against national security” through “membership in a Christian home church of Zionist Christianity.”

Previously, the Islamic government of Iran has repeatedly imprisoned Christian converts without providing any evidence on similar charges.

Initially, the Shahbazian family was told that a cash bail of 300 million tomans had been set for the temporary release of this Christian citizen.

When the family of this Christian convert gathered this amount by borrowing from acquaintances and deposited it into the account designated through the prosecutor’s office, they were told that there had been a “mistake” and the original amount was ten times greater—three billion tomans (approximately 150,000 dollars).

Last week, Masoomeh Ghasemi, the mother of Somayeh Sadegh (known as Sonia), another imprisoned Christian convert, was arrested after visiting the court to follow up on her daughter’s case.

Both were released on a total combined bail of one billion and 100 million tomans (approximately 50,000 dollars).

According to Mohebat News, judicial authorities have set bail of three billion tomans for the temporary release of Maliheh Nazari, a Christian convert. Due to this Christian convert’s family’s inability to provide this bail, she remains in detention.

The bail set for Mr. Shahbazian and Maliheh Nazari is the highest amount set for the temporary release of a Christian citizen imprisoned for their faith and theological activities.

Ms. Nazari is among the Christians who participated in a home church gathering called “Yekdelan,” a home church specifically for Christian believing women in Tehran. It appears that her arrest is related to this. Security authorities have thus far provided no clear reason for the arrest of this Christian woman convert.

Previously, the highest bail amount was one billion and 500 million tomans (approximately 130,000 dollars), which was set for a total of five Christian converts from the Rasht church. The court increased bail for these Christian citizens tenfold due to their insistence on the right to appoint a lawyer.

Repeatedly, international organizations and bodies, including the United Nations, have condemned the Islamic Republic for human rights violations and the rights of minorities, reminding Iran’s leaders that Iran is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Article 18 Organization” recently presented a new report along with several Christian organizations to the UN Human Rights Committee, in which various dimensions of violations of religious freedom for Christians and other religious and sectarian minorities in Iran were examined with mention of multiple cases.

Source: DW