A Christian convert was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Esmaeil Maghrebnejad, a Christian convert living in Shiraz who was arrested by security forces in early February of last year, was sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Shiraz Criminal Court.
The Human Rights in Iran website announced in a report on Thursday, February 23, that Branch 105 of Shiraz Criminal Court 2 has sentenced this Christian convert to 3 years in prison on charges of "insulting sacred things in cyberspace," and in the coming weeks, the Shiraz Revolutionary Court is scheduled to review the other part of this Christian convert's case, with charges such as "propaganda against the regime" and "membership in groups hostile to the regime."
According to this report, the case of Ismail Maghrebnejad has been divided into two parts. The hearing of the first part of the case, regarding the charges of "insulting sacred things in cyberspace" and "apostasy", was held on January 8 in Branch 105 of Shiraz Criminal Court 2. The verdict was delivered to him on Saturday, January 11, and the Christian convert was acquitted of the charge of apostasy and sentenced to prison for the other charge.
According to the Human Rights in Iran website, Esmail Maghrebnejad was arrested on February 25 of last year by security forces after searching his home and seizing a number of personal belongings, including a "laptop, cell phone, Christian books, and daily writings." On October 20, after being summoned to Branch 105 of Criminal Court 2 of this city and being informed of the charges, he was temporarily released until the end of the proceedings, with bail increased from 10 million to 100 million Tomans.
Part of the report states that, at the time of the arrest of this Christian convert, judicial authorities told his family, who had tried to obtain information about his place of detention and fate by contacting judicial institutions, that "Ismail Maghrebnejad" was not in any of their detention centers and that they should consider him a "missing" person.
The prison sentences for this Christian convert have come at a time when Islamic Republic officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have repeatedly claimed that no one in Iran is prosecuted or convicted for expressing an opinion.
Previously, Voice of America had announced in a report that nine Christian converts, Abdolreza (Matias) Alihaqnejad, Shahroz Eslamdoost, Behnam Akhlaqi, Babak Hosseinzadeh, Mehdi Khatibi, Khalil Dehghanpour, Hossein Kadivar, Kamal Noemanian, and Mohammad Vafadar, had been sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison by Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of "acting against national security."
Earlier, US Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told VOA: "Iran has the most egregious record in the US State Department of countries involved in the persecution of religious minorities, and this regime persecutes any religious minority it deems inappropriate."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the unveiling of the annual Religious Freedom Report that the repression of Baha'is, Christians, and other religious and religious minorities in Iran remains a cause for serious concern.
International human rights organizations and the United States government have repeatedly condemned the persecution and imprisonment of followers of religious minorities in Iran.
Source: Voice of America
