Kiarash Alipour, spokesperson for the 'Article 18 Organization for the Defense of the Rights of Christians in Iran', confirmed in an interview with Radio Farda on Tuesday that two Christian converts were forced to sign blank papers in prison. According to the 'Mohabat News' website, which covers news related to Christians, Mohammad Ali Torabi and Abdolali Pourmand, two members of the Evangelical (missionary) church, were coerced by prison officials to sign two blank papers. The website reported that 'the security officials may aim to fabricate cases and obtain forced confessions or to extract repentance letters from them.' Mohammad Ali Torabi, an official of the Peace Message Church, was arrested on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at his workplace in the 'Qaleh Seyed' area of Dezful and was transferred to Ahvaz. Abdolali Pourmand, another official of the home church 'Peace Message' in Dezful, was arrested by security forces on Thursday, October 19, 2017. In recent months, several Evangelical Christians have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment. In many cases, the charge against these individuals has been 'acting against national security by establishing and participating in home churches.' Mansour Borji from Article 18 previously stated in an interview with Radio Farda that these charges are 'baseless' and reflect the Islamic Republic's security approach towards religious minorities. Mr. Borji also announced that the crackdown on Christian converts is politically motivated and contrary to legal standards. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed concern last July regarding the long prison sentences for several Christian converts in less than two months, highlighting the persecution of Christians in Iran. Since the revolution, at least five church leaders have been killed in Iran, and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned. The printing of the Bible in Persian has been banned, and some churches have been closed, with restrictions on church ceremonies.
Two Imprisoned Christian Converts Forced to Sign Blank Papers
Two Christian converts, Mohammad Ali Torabi and Abdolali Pourmand, were forced to sign blank papers in prison, raising concerns about potential forced confessions and political motivations behind their arrests. This incident highlights ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Iran, particularly Evangelical Christians.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Iranian prison officials forced Christian converts to sign blank papers for potential coercion.
- Iranian security forces arrest Mohammad Ali Torabi, Abdolali Pourmand
- Iranian security forces arrest Abdolali Pourmand
- Iranian prison officials coerce Mohammad Ali Torabi, Abdolali Pourmand
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iranian government is actively suppressing religious minorities, particularly Christians.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%