Tehran Court of Appeals confirms heavy prison sentence for group of Christian citizens

The new wave of heavy sentences against Christian citizens in Tehran's Court of Appeals once again demonstrates the Islamic Republic's suppression of freedom of belief and its blatant violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Tehran Provincial Court of Appeals recently upheld the heavy prison sentences and social exclusion imposed on a group of Christian citizens. The sentences, issued against eight Christians, total more than 80 years in prison, dozens of years of social exclusion, and heavy fines.

In one case, Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals on September 16, 1404, upheld the conviction of five Christian citizens named "Morteza (Calvin) Faqanpour Sasi", "Abolfazl (Benyamin) Ahmadzadeh Khajani", "Hosameddin (Yahya) Mohammad Junaidi", and two others whose names are being withheld.

According to the verdict, each of them was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for the charge of “propaganda activity contrary to Islamic law” and seven months in prison for the charge of “propaganda against the system.” In addition, Morteza Faghanpour Sasi faced an additional 17 months in prison for the charge of “insulting the leadership.” The court, emphasizing the “implementation of the most severe punishment,” announced that the most severe sentence, seven years and six months in prison, would be imposed on each individual.

A source close to the families stated: "Organizing house churches, promoting and propagating Christianity, participating in a virtual university abroad, traveling to Turkey for training courses, and recruiting people to Christianity were among the cases cited as examples of crimes in the case files of these citizens."

In another case, Branch 36 of the Court of Appeals on May 23, 1404, also confirmed the sentences issued against three Christian citizens living in Tehran, Mehran Shamloui, Abbas Souri, and Narges Nasri. These three individuals had previously been sentenced by Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court to a total of 41 years and 8 months in prison, 41 years of social deprivation, and a fine of 910 million Tomans.

The details of the verdict show that Abbas Souri has been sentenced to 15 years of social exclusion, a 15-year ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, 10 years in prison, and an additional 5 years in prison for being a member of opposition groups.

Mehran Shamloui has been sentenced to eight years in prison, with an additional two years and eight months in prison on charges of membership in opposition groups and long-term social deprivation.

Narges Nasri was sentenced to 10 years in prison, an additional 5 years for membership in opposition groups, one year in prison for propaganda against the regime, 15 years of social ban, and a fine of 330 million Tomans.

These individuals were arrested in November 2024 by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence for forming a house church and were interrogated for a while in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, and then released on bail a month later.

These rulings show that the Islamic Republic not only does not recognize freedom of belief, but also faces systematic repression of Christians by criminalizing home worship and peaceful religious activities.

Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which explicitly guarantees the right to freedom of religion and conscience, to choose or change one's religion, and to freely practice one's religion. Article 27 also emphasizes the protection of religious minorities.

Despite these commitments, the Islamic Republic punishes Christian citizens with heavy prison sentences, social exclusion, and even internal exile, using general and security charges such as "membership in opposition groups," "promoting Zionist Christianity," or "propaganda against the system."

The sentencing of eight Christian citizens to a total of more than 80 years in prison is just one example of the repressive policies that have intensified against Persian-speaking Christians in recent years.

Churches, Christian councils, and international human rights organizations must not remain silent in the face of this blatant process of repression. Today, dozens of Christian citizens in Iran face long-term imprisonment and severe deprivations simply because of their faith and beliefs.

Their voices must be heard in the world. The silence of the international community only legitimizes the continued violation of the fundamental rights of Christians in Iran. Now is the time for the churches of the world to act in unison to free their brothers and sisters in faith in Iran.