Five-year prison sentence for Christian convert Ebrahim Firoozi confirmed

The five-year prison sentence of Christian convert Ebrahim Firoozi has been upheld by the Court of Appeal.

The website of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported on Tuesday, April 25, that Mr. Firouzi's appeals court was convened on January 15 and confirmed Ebrahim Firouzi's five-year prison sentence.

Mr. Firouzi was sentenced to five years in prison in April 2015 by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Moghiseh, on charges of "forming a group with the intention of disrupting the country's security."

This Christian citizen was sentenced in 2013 by the Revolutionary Court of Robat Karim County to one year in prison and two years of exile to Sarbaz County, located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, one of the deprived provinces of the country, on charges of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic system," "establishing and directing a deviant Christian evangelical organization," and establishing a Christian website.

The International Human Rights Campaign, citing people close to Mr. Firouzi, wrote that his interrogations in Evin Prison were accompanied by “insults and inquisitions” to extract forced confessions. The interrogators also addressed issues for which Mr. Firouzi had previously been interrogated and tried.

International human rights organizations have consistently accused the Islamic Republic of mistreating religious and ethnic minorities. Iran has arrested and sentenced Christian converts and Baha'i citizens to prison on several occasions.

Source: Voice of America