Yasser Akbari, Christian Convert, Writes from Prison: I Am a Captive in the Hands of My Country's Enemies

Yasser Akbari, a Christian convert imprisoned in Evin, has spoken in a letter about his conditions in prison and the authorities' prevention of his attendance at his son's funeral. Mahdi Akbari, who prefers to be referred to as Yasser, reveals for the first time that he was not allowed to be by the bedside of his son, who faced congenital cerebral palsy and required care. Mansour Borji from the 'Article 18' organization confirmed the authenticity of this letter in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, stating that Yasser Akbari had a son who needed constant care, and since he was in prison, the responsibility fell to the family or a rehabilitation organization. However, this 18-year-old son faced serious problems at one point, but his father did not obtain permission for leave from prison to care for him. Mr. Borji continued, 'After he was finally given only 20 minutes for a visit, he went to the hospital in handcuffs and prison clothes and saw his 18-year-old son for the last time. His son passed away a few days later, and Yasser Akbari was not even allowed to attend his son's burial.' Yasser Akbari referred to the court session as a bitter day, stating that Judge Moqiseh called him a follower of the 'deviant sect of Christianity' and told him he was a 'Jewish Israeli.' In this letter, he states, 'Instead of seeking reasons and evidence for the crime, the interrogator tried to impose a pre-defined scenario to validate the imposed accusations so that he could label me as a criminal using rhetoric and white torture, and make an example of me for my fellow believers.' Yasser Akbari was arrested in Bahman 1397 (February 2019). In Mehr 1399 (October 2020), he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 'acting against national security by forming a house church.' Amir Ali, Yasser Akbari's son, passed away in Dey 1400 (January 2022) in the hospital. Prison officials requested a bail of 150 million tomans for him to attend the burial ceremony, but due to administrative issues in the prison, he could not attend his son's funeral. Yasser Akbari states in his letter, 'This is Iran, the 21st century, and I am a captive in the hands of my country's enemies.'