Destruction of the burial site of Pastor Hossein Soudmand; the first priest executed on charges of apostasy

The burial site of Hossein Soodmand was destroyed in December this year, on the 29th anniversary of his execution. Mr. Soodmand's body was buried on the outskirts of Mashhad's Behesht Reza Cemetery after his execution, and all these years the only sign of his grave was a cement surface with no name or inscription; however, in December this year, this place was hidden in the ground with an embankment about half a meter deep. It appears that this destruction was done to destroy the burial plaque of Mr. Soodmand. Hossein Soodmand, a priest of the Rabbani Congregation of Mashhad, was executed on December 1, 1980, on charges of apostasy.

According to HRANA, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, the burial place of Pastor Hossein Soedmand was destroyed in December of this year, on the 29th anniversary of his execution.

Hossein Soudmand's body was buried on the outskirts of Mashhad's Behesht Reza cemetery in a dilapidated area. In all these years, the only sign of his grave was a cement surface with no name or sign, which was destroyed in December of this year; now the surface of the grave is hidden by a half-meter-deep embankment, and the sign of the cross on the wall has also faded. It seems that this destruction was done to destroy the remains of the burial place of Rev. Soudmand.

Destruction and insulting of the graves of religious minorities and political opponents of the Islamic Republic is a long-standing issue.

Hossein Soudmand returned to Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad in November 1980 after a few weeks of leave and was executed on December 3, 1980, without prior notice or the opportunity to meet with his family before the execution. The death certificate states the cause of death as “suffocation by rope.” There is no information about the trial or how the sentence was issued for this priest.

A week after the execution, individuals who identified themselves as members of the Ministry of Intelligence visited Soodmand’s family home, informed them of his execution on charges of “apostasy,” and gave them the address of his burial site. Soodmand’s family was never able to see his body, and was only shown an unmarked stone as the burial site. They were also not allowed to place a tombstone on his grave over the years. In addition, the charges against him were never officially announced to his family.

Arian Soodmand, the daughter of Pastor Hossein Soodmand, was interviewed by this monthly magazine in the latest issue of Peace Line. In this interview, he said about the pressures and security encounters with his father: “We had a villa in Mashhad that had two floors and a basement. My father converted this basement into a church with the permission of the Islamic Republic. This church, called the “Rabbani Congregation of Mashhad” Church, was established by my father completely legally and with a permit. And we installed a sign titled “Rabbani Congregation of Mashhad Church” on the door of the house. After Mr. Khomeini’s death, they took the permit from my father, closed the church, and removed the sign from the door of the house. Then they constantly arrested my father. Our phone calls were monitored. Once, when my father came on leave from prison, he told all of us not to say anything because they knew our most private conversations, even very private conversations with my wife. They had wiretapped our house. When my father was martyred, they sold the house phone, which was called the Rabbani Congregation of Mashhad Church, without our permission, and our phone was completely disconnected, and we were not allowed to buy or own a phone.”

Ms. Soodmand continued to tell Peace Line: “I don’t remember the date of my father’s first arrest. But I do remember that my father’s arrest became very serious after Mr. Khomeini’s death and the pressures increased. Almost after the 40th anniversary of his death, my father’s arrest and release happened frequently, and they complained a lot about why the church had not held a ceremony for Mr. Khomeini’s 40th anniversary. In the end, they forced my father to hold a ceremony for the year of Khomeini. But my father’s last return to prison was after his leave ended in early or mid-November 1980, and he never returned.”

Seyyed Hossein Soudmand Radkani was born on July 1, 1940, in Mashhad. He converted to Christianity as a teenager and during his military service. He continued his studies in this field and eventually began working officially as a priest in the church. He also had a hand in charitable works and serving the disabled. Hossein Soudmand went to Isfahan to serve in the Christopher Organization for the Blind. There he met Mahtab Norush, and this acquaintance led to marriage and four children: Ramtin, born in 1974, Rashin, born in 1978, and Arian and Aria, born in 1981.

It is worth noting that despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority by law, the security services follow the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal with activists in this field with force.

Source: HRANA