Three Christian Believers Continue to be Detained Indefinitely in Lakan Prison in Rasht
Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, Ayyub (Farzin) Pourrazazadeh, and Morteza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, three detained Christian believers, continue to remain in indefinite detention in Lakan Prison in Rasht. These three Christian believers were arrested by security forces in Ordibehesht month of this year.
According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Human Rights Activists collection in Iran, Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, Ayyub (Farzin) Pourrazazadeh, and Morteza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, Christian believers, are held in indefinite detention in Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Iman Soleimani, the defense lawyer of these citizens, said in this regard: “These three citizens are being held indefinitely regarding a new case in prison while their previous case is still in the appeal stage and no final verdict has been issued. In this case, without committing any crime, they have been informed of the charge of establishing a home church, which is one of the charges in their previous case, and a temporary detention order has been issued against them.”
Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast and Ayyub (Farzin) Pourrazazadeh were arrested at their home on 18 Ordibehesht by Sepah intelligence officers and were ultimately transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht. Also, Morteza Hajeb Mashhood Kari, a Christian believer residing in Rasht, was arrested on 20 Ordibehesht after referring to the prosecutor’s office of the city and transferred to Lakan Prison.
Ayyub (Farzin) Pourrazazadeh, Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, and Morteza Hajeb Mashhood Kari were sentenced in Farvardin month of this year regarding their previous case by Rasht Revolutionary Court on charges including “establishing a home church, propaganda against the system, contact with Zionist missionary agents, and affiliation with the Baha’i sect outside the country,” each to 5 years and one day imprisonment and payment of 180 million rials in fines. The appeal hearing was held on 2 Khordad in Branch 18 of the Gilan Province Appeals Court.
Ahmad (Yohanna) Sarparast, 25 years old, Ayyub (Farzin) Pourrazazadeh, 28 years old, and Morteza 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 pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with special sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.
Treatment of Christian believers in Iran takes place 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 the freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom to manifest his religion or belief, either alone or in community with others and in public or private.
Source: Hrana
