"Dorothea Depermann": I will take on the sponsorship of Mehdi (Yaser) Akbari, a Christian citizen

Dorothea Depermann announced that she will take on the responsibility of sponsoring Mehdi (Yaser) Akbari, a Christian citizen.

Yasser Akbari, a Christian citizen, was arrested by security agents in February 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 2019 on charges of “acting against national security by forming a house church.” While he was in prison, his son, Amir Ali, who suffered from congenital cerebral palsy, was hospitalized and died in the hospital in January 2019.

Regarding his interrogations, Mr. Akbari said: "The trial was hundreds of times worse than the initial interrogation and questioning. They considered Christianity a lost sect and called me its follower. The judge in the case had developed criminal charges against me so thoughtlessly that he even forgot that Jews and Christians are followers of two separate religions. He declared me a follower of a lost Christian religion and a Jew affiliated with Israel. A joke that is ridiculous rather than a court ruling."

In July 1402, Yaser Akbari published a letter from Evin Prison, describing his conditions in prison and the authorities’ prevention of his attendance at his son’s funeral. Mansour Borji, director of the “Article 18” organization, confirmed the letter and said: “Yaser Akbari had a child who needed constant care, and since he was in prison, the responsibility for this was the responsibility of the family or the rehabilitation organization. However, this 18-year-old boy faced serious problems at some point, but his father was not allowed to leave prison to care for his son. He only had a 20-minute visitation time and went to the hospital with an officer, handcuffs, and prison uniform to see his 18-year-old son for the last time. Amir Ali died a few days after his father’s visit, and Yaser Akbari was not even allowed to attend his son’s funeral.”

Yaser Akbari wrote in his letter: "This is Iran, the 21st century, and I am a prisoner in the hands of the enemies of my land."

Ms. Dorothea Deppermann, a member of the German Parliament for the Green Party from the state of Hamburg, took over the political sponsorship of this Christian citizen on Monday, April 15. She posted on social media: “By taking over the sponsorship of Mehdi (Yaser) Akbari, I strongly advocate for his release and an end to the systematic repression by the oppressive Iranian regime. This support is not only a symbol of personal support for Mehdi, but also a new call for a broader fight against human rights violations in Iran. We need to raise awareness, increase pressure from the international community, and mobilize the necessary support to ensure justice for Mehdi and the many others who suffer in similar circumstances.”