Long-Term Prison Sentences Issued for Four Iranian Christians

Mansoor Borji, spokesperson for the Article 18 Committee affiliated with the Council of Churches in London, told Radio Farda that 'the Revolutionary Court judge sentenced Victor Bet-Tamraz, Hadi Asgari, and Kaveh Fallah Mohammadi each to ten years in prison, while Amin Afshar Naderi was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.' Mr. Borji added: 'These four Christians have also been banned from leaving the country for two years each.' According to the Article 18 website, 'these four condemned Christian citizens were not present when the verdict was announced by Judge Ahmadzadeh in Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. Their lawyer, who was present in court, stated that they would appeal this verdict within the designated timeframe.' The Revolutionary Court has accused Kaveh Fallah Mohammadi and Amin Afshar Naderi of 'acting against national security by forming and managing home churches.' In addition to this charge, Amin Afshar Naderi has also been convicted of 'insulting the sacred.' Hadi Asgari, another Christian convert, has been accused of 'acting against national security through activities in home churches.' According to the Article 18 website, Victor Bet-Tamraz was the leader of the Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Tehran before the church was closed on March 20, 1999. The site adds: 'Following the arrest of Pastor Bet-Tamraz during the Christmas celebration in December 2017, he was subjected to prolonged interrogation and illegal detention in solitary confinement at Evin Prison. He was eventually released on bail in March 2015.' A few days ago, Mr. Borji reported that a Christian convert, Nasser Nord Gol-Tappeh, along with three Azerbaijani Christian citizens, were each sentenced to ten years in prison. The charges against these four include 'acting against national security and soft overthrow of the regime, organizational connections with the Word of Life Church in Sweden, and Zionist Christianity.' Mr. Borji told Radio Farda: 'The charges against these Christians lack legal evidence, and the issued verdict is a clear violation of freedom of religion and belief. Many Christians are awaiting Revolutionary Court verdicts simply for participating in collective worship, even in the privacy of their homes.' Since the 1979 revolution, several church leaders in Iran have been killed, and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned. Printing the Bible in Persian has been banned, and some churches have been closed, with restrictions placed on church ceremonies. Earlier last December, 19 human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling on the international community to end the harassment of Christian converts in Iran.