Three Christian citizens sentenced to imprisonment, fines, and social deprivation
HRANA News Agency – The Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Christian citizen Anushavan Avdian to 10 years in prison, a fine, and deprivation of social rights. Based on this verdict, two Christian citizens, Abbas Souri and Maryam Mohammadi, were also sentenced to 50 million tomans in fines and various long-term social deprivations.
According to HRANA News Agency, the news agency of the Human Rights Activists Association in Iran, the verdict of the Tehran Revolutionary Court against Anushavan Avdian, Abbas Souri, and Maryam Mohammadi was issued and announced.
According to this verdict, which was issued and announced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, Anushavan Avdian was sentenced to 10 years in prison and deprivation of social rights for 10 years, as well as payment of a fine. Also, based on this verdict, Abbas Souri and Maryam Mohammadi were sentenced to 10 years of deprivation of social rights and payment of a 5th -degree fine to the state fund worth 50 million Tomans, prohibition of membership in political groups and organizations, prohibition of leaving the country and registering their presence quarterly in the office of supervision and follow-up of the case officers, and prohibition of residence in Tehran province and its neighboring provinces for 2 years .
The charges against these citizens are “forming and managing a group under the name of a Zionist missionary Christian house church with the aim of disrupting the country’s security” and “maintaining satellite reception equipment.”
Iman Soleimani, the defense attorney for Abbas Mohammadi and Anushavan Avdian, told HRANA in this regard: “This verdict was issued while no attention was paid to the defenses and it was ignored. Looking at the issued verdict, we will realize that what was stated in the bailiffs’ workflow was issued exactly as a verdict.”
Previously, the indictment of Anushavan Avdian and Abbas Souri was issued by Branch 3 of the Evin Security Prosecutor's Office.
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.
The treatment of Christians in Iran is taking place despite the fact that, 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 religion and to change their religion with conviction, as well as the freedom to manifest it, individually or in community with others and in public or in private .
Source: HRANA
