Christian citizen "Hosameddin Mohammad Junaidi" sentenced to more than eight years in prison
"Hosameddin Muhammad Junaidi," a Christian citizen, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison solely for his Christian beliefs and worship.
Hesameddin Mohammad Junaidi, a Christian citizen living in Varamin, also known as "Yahya", was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison by the city's Revolutionary Court.
This verdict was issued by the First Branch of the Varamin Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Ashkan Ramesh. In the verdict, Mr. Junaidi was found guilty under Articles 500, 500-bis, and 514 of the Islamic Penal Code due to his religious beliefs and peaceful activities.
According to this verdict, he was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison on the charge of "propaganda activity contrary to Islamic law in terms of relations with abroad" and to seven months in prison on the charge of "propaganda against the system."
Hesamuddin was first arrested in November last year during a simultaneous raid by security forces on the homes and workplaces of several Christian citizens in Varamin. During the operation, officers confiscated his personal belongings, including a Bible, a laptop, three cell phones, and fifty million tomans in cash.
After his arrest, he was transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, under the supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence, and was subjected to intense interrogation for forty days. He was then temporarily released after posting a hefty bail of one and a half billion tomans.
According to the details of the case, "participating in Christian training courses abroad (Turkey), attending online and home churches, and promoting Christianity in cyberspace and the real world" are among the reasons for his conviction.
The case of Hesameddin Mohammad Junaidi is just one example of dozens of similar cases that reveal the extremely difficult conditions of Christian citizens in Iran. Christians in Iran have been under pressure and persecution for years, and even their connection to online churches or Christian networks abroad is used as a pretext for repression and severe condemnation.
These sentences reflect the government's fear of religious freedom and the spread of the Christian faith in Iran. While the international community considers freedom of religion and belief to be a fundamental human right, Christians in Iran continue to face security charges, unfair trials, harsh interrogations, and long prison sentences.
