Iranian Christians ordered not to meet – in person or online 3 February 2021 News Photo: Mission Network News Eleven Christian couples from a city just outside Tehran have been ordered by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence to sign commitments to refrain from meeting together – either in person or online. After refusing, the Christians were threatened with long prison sentences and told it would be better for them if they left the country. The demands were made during interrogations in Fardis over the past two weeks, which followed coordinated raids on the homes of 12 Christian families in the city in November. None of the Christians were arrested at that time, but many of their personal belongings were confiscated – including phones, laptops, Bibles, Christian literature and anything else to do with Christianity – and they had been expecting to be summoned ever since. Iranian Christians are routinely asked during interrogations to sign commitments to refrain from gathering together in house-churches, but this is the first known example of intelligence officials demanding they sign a commitment to have no further social engagements together at all, including online. It is not illegal for Christians to meet together in Iran – whether in person or online – but all religious gatherings technically require permits, though these have never been granted for Christian converts, whom the Islamic Republic does not recognise as Christians and instead refers to as members of a “Zionist” cult. At the same time, converts are not permitted to attend the recognised churches of the Assyrian and Armenian ethnic minorities, meaning the only churches available to them are house-churches, which are forced to exist in secret. House-church members are frequently arrested and charged with “actions against national security” – there are currently 15 Christians in prison on such charges, and two in internal exile – while the Iranian judiciary recently labelled house-churches “enemy groups” in an official response to six UN experts who had raised concerns about the treatment of Christians in Iran. A new strategy? The Iranian parliament has for months been pushing for a bill to be passed into law that would provide the judiciary with the means to bring charges against members of “illegal” groups for their online activities. However, the bill has been twice sent back for amendments by the Guardian Council, which must approve all parliamentary bills. The bill proposes additions to articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code – already two of the most commonly used laws in cases against Christians – which relate to membership of and support for (“propaganda”) groups deemed “hostile” to the regime. The proposed bill would add extra wording to the articles, such as “propaganda contrary to Islam” – whether in the “real or virtual sphere” – and “deviant psychological manipulation” by “sects”. The punishment for these ill-defined “crimes” would include imprisonment, flogging, fines, and even the death penalty. Human rights lawyer Hossein Ahmadiniaz told Article18 that the bill, if passed, would “facilitate the repression and punishment of Christian converts and others belonging to unrecognised religious groups”. “The law should protect citizens, including Christian converts and Baha’is, against the government,” he said, “But in Iran the law has become a tool to justify the government’s violent treatment of converts and other unrecognised minorities.”
Iran still found time to persecute Christians in 2020, despite pandemic 2 February 2021 News In a year dominated by Covid-19, Iran still found time to persecute Christians in 2020, Article18’s annual report reveals. The report, published today in collaboration with Middle East Concern, Open Doors, and CSW, shows that 15 Christians were being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison on account of their faith by the end of the year, while two others were living in internal exile and another was imprisoned on a disputed criminal charge. A further 115 Iranian Christians were arrested in 2020, though only 52 of those arrests were publicly reported. Meanwhile, two Iranian Christians were flogged for drinking wine as part of Communion, others were denied education or employment, and one couple were told they could no longer retain custody of their adopted daughter on account of their faith. The vast majority of the Christians affected were converts from Muslim backgrounds, whom the state does not recognise as Christians, but Christians from the recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities were also affected. Indeed, the case study for this year’s report is the Iranian-Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, who was forced to flee Iran in August 2020, with his wife Shamiram, after learning that their years-long appeals against lengthy prison sentences had finally been rejected. The case study reveals how Victor and Shamiram faced 10 and five years in prison, respectively, for leading a house-church after Victor was removed from the leadership of a recognised Assyrian church for refusing to stop converts from attending. Three of the converts from his church, who later joined his house-church, were also sentenced to 10 years alongside pastor Victor and have also now fled the country. This case highlights how the state targets both converts to Christianity and those who minister to them. The same is true in the case of Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian, who was one of dozens of Christians arrested by Revolutionary Guards in a coordinated operation targeting homes and house-churches in Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on 30 June and 1 July 2020. Iran recently denied persecuting Christians, in response to a formal query by six senior UN figures. But while it may be true that Christians from Armenian and Assyrian backgrounds are afforded some freedoms, the cases of Victor, Shamiram and Joseph show that this freedom only exists within strict confines. Iran is a signatory of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which defines religious freedom as including the right to “have or adopt a religion or belief of one’s choice” and to practise that religion “either individually or in community with others”. Iran’s continued crackdown on house-churches shows that no such freedoms exist. Article18’s report calls on the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release all Christians detained on spurious charges related to their faith or religious activities, and to uphold the right to freedom of religion of belief for every citizen, regardless of their ethnic or linguistic group, thereby amending Article 13 of the constitution to recognise fully the freedom of religion or belief of all faiths as envisaged by Article 18 of the ICCPR, to which Iran is a State Party, without reservation, and therefore legally bound to respect. We also call on the government to: Re-establish ownership of churches, properties and material confiscated from Christians and other religious minorities under security-related charges. Cease to use provisions such as Articles 498, 499, 500 and 513 of the Penal Code and Article 167 of the Iranian constitution to unjustly detain minority-faith adherents. Guarantee the right to counsel to all individuals charged with security-related crimes and to select a lawyer of their choice, therefore repealing the Note to Article 48 of Iran’s Criminal Procedures Regulations. Grant access to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran to allow him to thoroughly investigate Iran’s compliance with international law on human rights. Finally, we call on members of the international community to assist in holding Iran accountable for upholding its obligation to ensure and facilitate freedom of religion or belief for all its citizens by highlighting this principle during political and/or economic discussions with, or concerning, Iran.
Annual Report: Rights Violations Against Christians in 2020 2 February 2021 Reports In a year dominated by Covid-19, Iran still found time to persecute Christians in 2020, Article18’s annual report reveals. The report, published today in collaboration with Middle East Concern, Open Doors, and CSW, shows that 15 Christians were being held in Tehran’s Evin Prison on account of their faith by the end of the year, while two others were living in internal exile and another was imprisoned on a disputed criminal charge. A further 115 Iranian Christians were arrested in 2020, though only 52 of those arrests were publicly reported. Meanwhile, two Iranian Christians were flogged for drinking wine as part of Communion, others were denied education or employment, and one couple were told they could no longer retain custody of their adopted daughter on account of their faith. The vast majority of the Christians affected were converts from Muslim backgrounds, whom the state does not recognise as Christians, but Christians from the recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities were also affected. Indeed, the case study for this year’s report is the Iranian-Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, who was forced to flee Iran in August 2020, with his wife Shamiram, after learning that their years-long appeals against lengthy prison sentences had finally been rejected. The case study reveals how Victor and Shamiram faced 10 and five years in prison, respectively, for leading a house-church after Victor was removed from the leadership of a recognised Assyrian church for refusing to stop converts from attending. Three of the converts from his church, who later joined his house-church, were also sentenced to 10 years alongside pastor Victor and have also now fled the country. This case highlights how the state targets both converts to Christianity and those who minister to them. The same is true in the case of Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian, who was one of dozens of Christians arrested by Revolutionary Guards in a coordinated operation targeting homes and house-churches in Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on 30 June and 1 July 2020. Iran recently denied persecuting Christians, in response to a formal query by six senior UN figures. But while it may be true that Christians from Armenian and Assyrian backgrounds are afforded some freedoms, the cases of Victor, Shamiram and Joseph show that this freedom only exists within strict confines. Iran is a signatory of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which defines religious freedom as including the right to “have or adopt a religion or belief of one’s choice” and to practise that religion “either individually or in community with others”. Iran’s continued crackdown on house-churches shows that no such freedoms exist. Article18’s report calls on the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release all Christians detained on spurious charges related to their faith or religious activities, and to uphold the right to freedom of religion of belief for every citizen, regardless of their ethnic or linguistic group, thereby amending Article 13 of the constitution to recognise fully the freedom of religion or belief of all faiths as envisaged by Article 18 of the ICCPR, to which Iran is a State Party, without reservation, and therefore legally bound to respect. We also call on the government to: Re-establish ownership of churches, properties and material confiscated from Christians and other religious minorities under security-related charges. Cease to use provisions such as Articles 498, 499, 500 and 513 of the Penal Code and Article 167 of the Iranian constitution to unjustly detain minority-faith adherents. Guarantee the right to counsel to all individuals charged with security-related crimes and to select a lawyer of their choice, therefore repealing the Note to Article 48 of Iran’s Criminal Procedures Regulations. Grant access to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran to allow him to thoroughly investigate Iran’s compliance with international law on human rights. Finally, we call on members of the international community to assist in holding Iran accountable for upholding its obligation to ensure and facilitate freedom of religion or belief for all its citizens by highlighting this principle during political and/or economic discussions with, or concerning, Iran.
Converts face prison for ‘promoting Christianity’ 1 February 2021 News Habib Heydari (left), and brothers Sam (centre) and Sasan Khosravi. An appeals court in the southwestern Iranian city of Bushehr has upheld the one-year prison sentences given to three Christian converts for “propagating against the Islamic Republic through promoting Christianity”. Habib Heydari and brothers Sam and Sasan Khosravi were sentenced last June alongside a fourth convert, Pooriya Peyma, who was given a 91-day sentence, and Sam, Sasan and Pooriya’s wives, who received fines. However, only Habib, Sam and Sasan appealed. The short appeals-court verdict, dated 27 January and pronounced by Judge Hedayat Rahavi, stated that, “based on the evidence against the appellants in the initial court, they are guilty of organisation of house-churches and promotion of Christianity, which are clear examples of propaganda against the state”. Sam and Sasan also face a two-year exile from Bushehr following their release from prison, including a ban on any work within their specialist profession – the hospitality sector – while Sam’s wife, Maryam, has been banned from working for any national institution, including the hospital she’d worked at for 20 years. Sam and Maryam are meanwhile still fighting for custody of their adopted daughter, after a court ruled in July last year that, as Christians, they were “unfit” to be the parents of their adopted daughter, Lydia, because she is considered Muslim. In October, 120 lawyers and activists wrote an open letter to the head of the judiciary, asking him to overturn the decision after it was upheld by an appeals court. But, as things stand, Sam and Maryam are set to lose custody of Lydia, on top of the work restrictions they are now both set to face, and Sam’s imprisonment and exile. Lydia is Sam and Maryam’s only child, as the couple had been unable to have children of their own. The other Christians also have young children – Sasan has a five-month-old daughter and four-year-old son, while Pooriya has a five-month-old son, and Habib’s wife is currently pregnant. Reacting to the verdict, human rights lawyer Hossein Ahmadiniaz told Article18 it was “a clear example of the widespread, systematic and targeted repression of Christian converts in Iran” and shows the “hatred and resentment” felt by Iran’s intelligence agencies towards them. He added that the case was “a violation of Iran’s international obligations to respect the rights of religious minorities”, and said the judges “lacked the will and authority” to go against the wishes of the Ministry of Intelligence, highlighting the lack of judicial independence and fair-trial provision in Iran. Iran continues to deny that anyone is prosecuted because of their religion, but the verdict in this case clearly states that the Christians’ propagation of their religion was considered an action against the state. During an earlier court hearing, in December 2019, the judge also specifically named some of the Christian literature that had been found at their properties as evidence of their alleged crimes, including copies of ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘Getting to Know the Bible’. After their initial sentencing, Article18’s advocacy director, Mansour Borji, said: “Condemning these people to prison because of their possession of Bibles and Christian symbols is a clear demonstration that Iran’s Foreign Minister and others aren’t telling the truth when they say that ‘no-one is put in prison in Iran simply because of their beliefs’. “These people have done nothing that could be construed as ‘propaganda against the state’ or ‘acting against national security’, but nevertheless they have been treated so unjustly. The international community must hold Iran to account for this miscarriage of justice, and many others like it.”
Iranian Christian group ‘dismantled’ for ‘creating moral deviations’ 25 January 2021 News There are currently at least 15 Christians in prison in Iran for alleged ‘actions against national security’. An Iranian news agency linked to the Revolutionary Guard Corps has reported the arrest of a “network” of Christians in “several provinces” for “creating moral deviations” and “promoting [religious] conversion”. According to the report, published by Fars News Agency on Saturday, the “Zionist” group was “dismantled” in a coordinated operation, though there is no indication of the number of Christians arrested, nor when or where the arrests took place. The report accuses “Christian-affiliated networks” of “extensive” efforts against Iran’s national security over the past two years. There are currently at least 15 Christians in prison in Iran for alleged “actions against national security” – because of their membership or leadership of house-churches. Six senior UN experts recently wrote to the Iranian government to express “serious concern” over the reported “systematic persecution” of Christians in Iran. But Iran denied the claims, stating that “nobody is prosecuted on religious grounds” and that action is taken only against members of “enemy groups” and “private churches” (house-churches) belonging to a “Zionist Christian cult” with “anti-security purposes. These latest reported arrests are just another example of how Iran seeks to portray house-church members as distinct from mainstream Christianity, which is recognised as one of three minority religions in Iran. The terms “Zionist”, “cult” and “sect” are regularly used when referring to house-churches – both by pro-regime news outlets like Fars, and the judiciary – as opposed to the friendly terms afforded to “Christian compatriots” of Armenian and Assyrian descent (unless they evangelise). It is only in this way that Iran is able to at once claim that Christians in Iran are not persecuted, while at the same time continuing to crack down on the burgeoning network of house-churches across the country. House-churches have proliferated across Iran over the past decade in response to the closure of churches offering Persian-language services, meaning they are now the only church on offer for converts to Christianity – of whom there are believed to be as many as one million. But this extraordinary growth has led to a concerted crackdown by the regime, ever since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei specifically singled out house-churches as one of the “critical threats” facing the Islamic Republic. And it is a crackdown that shows no sign of ceasing.
Mary Mohammadi told she can’t have old job back, arrested again 21 January 2021 News Iranian Christian convert Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi has been arrested again – this time for alleged “improper” hijab – and continues to be denied employment a year after her latest release from prison. The 22-year-old was arrested by Iran’s “morality police” on Monday, 18 January, and told her trousers were too tight, her headscarf was not correctly adjusted, and she should not be wearing an unbuttoned coat. Mary has already spent six months in prison as a result of her membership of a house-church – recently labelled by the Iranian regime as “enemy groups” belonging to a “Zionist” cult – and was last year given another suspended prison sentence for participating in a peaceful protest. Mary says she has been unable to return to her work as a gymnastics instructor since her release from prison in February last year, despite good relations with her employer. She says it’s “very clear” her employer has been put under pressure by intelligence agents to prevent her return to work, telling her they can’t afford to take any risks as they have a young child. Mary has been cautioned for improper hijab once before – having initially gone to the police to complain of an assault – and in December 2019 was kicked out of university on the eve of her exams. In October 2020, Mary reflected on the impact of this denial of education, saying it was “like a life imprisonment or exile that has been issued in absentia”. “Everything is affected,” she wrote. “Your work, income, social status, identity, mental health, satisfaction with yourself, your life, your place in society, your independence. “And as a woman it’s even harder to remain patient and endure, in a society so opposed to women and femininity, though crying out for them both.”
Iran denies persecuting Christians, calls house-churches ‘enemy groups’ 20 January 2021 News Ebrahim Raisi is head of Iran’s judiciary, which was responsible for Iran’s response to a recent letter by six UN experts, expressing concern about the “systematic persecution” of Christians. (Photo: hamshahrionline.ir) Iran has denied systematically persecuting Christians and called house-churches “enemy groups” of a “Zionist cult”, in response to a formal enquiry by six senior UN rights experts. In a letter dated 11 November but only made public after Iran failed to respond within the 60-day deadline, the experts* – including the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, and special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman – expressed “serious concern” over “numerous” reports of “continued systematic persecution” of Christians, “particularly discriminatory practices and violations of their human rights”. Iran has since written a response, denying the accusations and claiming “nobody is prosecuted on religious grounds”. Instead, Iran says it has taken legal action against members of “enemy groups” and “private churches” (house-churches), which it accuses of belonging to a “Zionist Christian cult” with “anti-security purposes”. What did the rapporteurs say? The rapporteurs name 24 Iranian Christians reported by organisations including Article18 to be either currently in prison or awaiting summonses, and include details of each case. They then go on to say that while they “do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of the information received,” they “wish to express our serious concern at the reported widespread repression against and persecution of persons belonging to the Christian minority in Iran, and in particular those who have converted from Islam”. The special rapporteur on freedom of religion of belief, Ahmed Shaheed. (Photo: Facebook/Ahmed Shaheed) The rapporteurs say they are “particularly concerned” about the “criminalization of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in the repressive methods applied by the Iranian state agencies, including the Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to suppress the right of members of Christian communities to observe, worship and teach their faith”. They also criticise reported “judicial harassment” and lack of due process, as well as “ambiguously formulated [charges] such ‘acting against national security’ or ‘propaganda against the state’ to systematically restrict the peaceful exercise of this right [to freedom of religion or belief]”. “Should the facts alleged be confirmed,” the rapporteurs write, “they would constitute severe violations of international human rights law”, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party. The rapporteurs conclude by calling on Iran to provide detailed responses to the allegations, including: “Grounds for the arrest, detention and conviction of all the individuals mentioned, and updated information about their cases. Explanation of “how the national courts interpret the terms ‘acting against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’, when considering cases of minority religions and persons belonging to religious minorities, and how these interpretations are compatible with the international norms and standards on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly and association”. What “measures and policies [are being] undertaken to ensure that persons belonging to the Christian minority, including those converting from Islam, are not discriminated against in all walks of life, and fully enjoy their human rights, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, freedom of expression and freedom peaceful assembly and association”. How has Iran responded? The response by the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, submitted two days after the 10 January deadline, begins by stating that religious minorities in Iran are “entitled to all freedoms and civil rights, as stipulated in the Constitution”. Then, after denying prosecuting anyone on religious grounds, the letter claims the 24 individuals mentioned, “under cover of promoting Christianity, were in fact communicating with evangelical Zionism with a view to enmity and confrontation with the Islamic Establishment and subversive act against it through organized cults and holding illegal and secret meetings to deceive citizens and exploit the deceived persons, particularly children”. Ali Bagheri Kani is secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights. (Photo: Tasnim News Agency) “Therefore,” it is claimed, “the offenses committed by the aforesaid have been dealt with pursuant to legal regulations on the grounds that they had committed offenses set out in the Islamic Penal Code, and not for conversion to Christianity.” Iran also denies arbitrarily detaining Christians – “no arbitrary act has been committed” – and says allegations of torture to extract confessions are “totally unsubstantiated”, and those of mistreatment during interrogation and detention – and refusal to inform families about detention – are “untrue and unfounded”. According to the response, “no domicile and religious gatherings were raided. What has happened was limited inspection, instructed by judicial authorities, in full respect of religious and legal boundaries, for the purposes of gathering information and tools of offense”. Allegations of “heavy and long punishment” are also alleged to be “untrue”, as are claims of any “house inspection or search” at the homes of “Christian domiciles” over Christmas. This goes against the testimony of Iranian-Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz and his wife, Shamiram – two of the named Christians – who testified that Victor’s first arrest, and that of two Christian converts, took place during a raid on the Bet-Tamraz home as they celebrated Christmas in 2014. Confiscation of property is not denied, but it is claimed that only instruments “found to have been used for commission of crimes” have been seized, and that “most” were later “restituted” to their owners. It should be noted here that Bibles and other Christian literature are routinely confiscated as evidence of a “crime” during raids on house-churches, and rarely returned. Rev Victor testified that in his case the arresting agents took “took almost 1,000 books from my house”, as well as “bank documents and other personal belongings”, and that “they still have a lot of these things in their possession”. It is also claimed that “no defendant has been punished for apostasy, and there is no such record”. In fact, one Iranian Christian convert, Hossein Soodmand, has been hanged for apostasy, while others have been sentenced to death, only for the sentence to be later overturned after an outcry, as in the case of Yousef Nadarkhani – who is another of the named Christians, as he is now back in prison on other charges. Iran’s response ends by detailing the charges against the named Christians, including Yousef, most of which relate to alleged membership of “enemy groups” and/or “setting up an illegal private church to promote Zionist evangelical Christianity”. *The letter was also signed by the vice-chair of the working group on arbitrary detention, Elina Steinerte; special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan; special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule; and special rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes.
Amin Afshar-Naderi on his 15-year prison sentence and why he left Iran 18 December 2020 Features Iranian Christian convert Amin Afshar-Naderi has spoken exclusively to Article18 about the “extreme difficulty” he has experienced in “six years of uncertainty” since his arrest at a Christmas gathering in December 2014. Amin was arrested alongside his pastor, Iranian-Assyrian Victor Bet-Tamraz, and fellow Christian convert Kavian Fallah-Mohammadi as they celebrated Christmas at Victor’s home in Tehran on 26 December 2014. Amin describes how he was then detained in Evin Prison for 40 days – 33 of them in solitary confinement – while his interrogators did everything in their power to put pressure on him to denounce his friends and renounce his Christian faith. “They told me, ‘Your mother had a stroke and your father had a stroke and he is in the hospital because of the stent in his heart.’” Amin recalls. “I wasn’t allowed to call home at all, and I was in solitary confinement for three weeks, thinking each day that it might be my father’s last. Until, after three weeks, I was finally allowed to call home and suddenly realised that they had lied to me about everything just to put me under pressure for all those three weeks, thinking I was the reason my father’s illness had become so acute and that he had a stroke because of what I had done. It was very upsetting.” Amin was eventually released on bail, having been charged with “acting against national security through establishing house-churches”. But he was re-arrested in August 2016 at his home in Firoozkooh, where he explains he had moved after his arrest “to prevent myself from having too much contact with other believers”. “I asked to see their warrant,” Amin says of the arrest, “but instead one of the agents opened his coat and showed me his gun and said: ‘Here’s our warrant!’“I replied: ‘Let me tie up my dogs, so they won’t do anything to you.’ And he said: ‘Don’t worry, if they come at me I’ll shoot them; it’s that simple.’” Amin says he was wearing his glasses when they “slapped me across my face a few times and emptied their whole can of pepper spray all over my face, making tears come streaming down my face”. He says his parents feared he had become blind after a relative called them, saying “one of his eyes was closed all the time, and he kept crying”. When Amin complained to the judge about his treatment, he was told there was “no sign of any beating; you are lying!”. “I said: ‘Then why are my eyes red?’ And he said: ‘No, everything has been done within the law. You must have resisted arrest or tried to escape.’” Amin was again transferred to Evin Prison, and this time he was detained for nearly a year, until he was finally freed on bail after undertaking the last of three hunger strikes. “I became very ill … so they called my family and agreed to release me on bail,” he explains. “They had set a bail of 300 million tomans [around $90,000], but in the end they accepted a bail of 270 million and allowed me to leave Evin. “But the impact to my health of that last hunger strike lasted for several months, especially when I first returned home, because after I started eating again – after 21 days of no food – one time I fainted and when I opened my eyes I saw that I was in hospital and attached to a drip. I couldn’t walk properly for several months afterwards.” By this point, Amin had been sentenced to 15 years in prison: 10 years for “acting against national security by forming a house-church” and five years for “insulting the saints”. But it was a further three years before his appeal – and those of the Christians sentenced alongside him – was finally rejected. Amin says he believes the delay was partly down to the international attention their case received – Amnesty International were among the high-profile organisations to call for the sentences to be overturned. “The government didn’t want the case to cause too much trouble, being aware of all the media pressure that had formed,” Amin says, “and also the conditions the government was in, with the sanctions and [condemnation of its] human rights violations. “I think that is why they chose to delay our process. Maybe they were hoping either our case would be quietly dismissed, or the situation in the country would deteriorate so much that condemning some Christians with these cruel sentences would be very normal and no-one would say a thing.” Eventually, in December 2018, Amin fled the country, after realising, in his words, that he “couldn’t do anything more in Iran”. “I miss my country very much,” says Amin. “… I never had any interest in leaving to go and live in another country as an asylum seeker, no matter how good I may find the life there. It was very painful [to leave]. I am still thinking about it after all this time since I left, but when I see that I really couldn’t do anything more [in Iran] and when I hear the news from inside Iran, I see that they are making things more difficult for Christians.” Amin ends the interview by thanking those who have supported him – whether through prayer, advocacy, or legal efforts, such as his “brave” and “honourable” lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi, who is now serving a long prison sentence of his own just for defending prisoners of conscience like Amin. “Mr Davoudi was one of those honourable lawyers, who really bravely and faithfully stood and defended, according to the oath he had taken, and the good intentions he had,” Amin says. “But, unfortunately, the government didn’t treat him well and I think he has to endure 15 years in prison – actually the sentence is even higher [30 years], but it is certain he will have to stay in prison for 15 years.”
Judge to Christians: ‘Who set this low bail so you were free to roam the streets?’ 17 December 2020 News Mohammad Moghiseh has earned the nickname the ‘Judge of Death’ for his harsh treatment of prisoners of conscience. (Photo: Fars/Ali Khara) More details have emerged of the harsh treatment of four Christian converts sentenced in October to a combined 35 years in prison. Mehdi Akbari, Fatemeh Sharifi and Simin Soheilinia were sentenced to 10 years in prison and Mehdi Rokhparvar five – all on the same charge of “acting against national security by forming a house-church”. But little was previously known about their case, other than that Mehdi A and Mehdi R were both being held in Ward 4 of Tehran’s Evin Prison. Now, Persian-language website humanrightsinir.org, which first reported on their case, has provided more details, including their harsh treatment by interrogators, weeks in solitary confinement, and harsh insults by notorious judge Mohammad Moghiseh. What has been reported? According to the new report, the four converts were first arrested during coordinated raids on their homes by intelligence agents on 28 January 2019 in the Ariashahr area of Tehran. They were then all transferred to Ward 2A of Evin Prison, where they were placed in solitary confinement and interrogated “severely” for 30 days, before being released on bail of 800 million tomans each ($62,500 at the time) on 18 March 2019, pending the outcome of their trial. Mehdi Akbari (left), known as Yasser, and Mehdi Rokhparvar are now in Evin Prison. They were tried on 16 June 2020 at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on charges of “acting against national security” and “forming an illegal evangelical Christian group” – under Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code, relating to organisation of groups “hostile” to the regime. They were also reportedly accused of “widespread association with missionary groups, as well as evangelical Christian groups outside the country – in Russia, Georgia, Turkey, and Armenia”. Judge Moghiseh – who has earned the nickname the “Judge of Death” for his harsh treatment of prisoners of conscience – reportedly spoke “obscenely” to the Christians and would not listen to their defence, only citing the report of the intelligence agent. He then increased their bail to 7 billion tomans ($220,000), reportedly saying: “Your actions are worthy of death! Who set this low bail amount for you, so you could be free to roam about on the streets?” The two women were later freed on bail, but the men were transferred to Evin Prison and their sentences were communicated to them there on 17 October.
Renewed fears over parliamentary bill that threatens Iran’s religious minorities 11 December 2020 News There are renewed fears over a parliamentary bill that threatens to facilitate the further repression of Iran’s religious minorities. The bill was initially passed by the parliament in May but sent back for amendments by the Guardian Council a month later. And now, according to advocacy organisation ARTICLE 19, that process has been repeated, with the parliament passing an amended version on 1 November, only for the Guardian Council to call for further changes on 25 November. The bill is understood now to be back with the parliament for a third time, and it appears clear there is an undimmed will to see it become law. What does the bill say? The bill proposes additions to articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code – already two of the most commonly used laws in cases against Christians – which would provide law enforcers with even greater scope for bringing charges on vaguely-defined grounds. Articles 499 and 500 relate to membership of and support for (“propaganda”) groups deemed “hostile” to the regime. These seven Christian converts from Bushehr are among those to have been sentenced this year for house-church membership, for which they were convicted under Article 500 of “propaganda against the state”. The proposed amendments seek to add extra wording to these articles, such as “propaganda contrary to Islam” – whether in the “real or virtual sphere” – and “deviant psychological manipulation” by “sects”. According to Bahar Saba from ARTICLE 19, the latest changes to the bill are only semantic, for example replacing the words “insults to divine religions or Islamic branches” with “directs explicit curses at divine religions”. The proposed punishment for these ill-defined “crimes” would include imprisonment, flogging, fines, and even the death penalty. Christian converts are regularly charged with membership of “hostile” groups for belonging to house-churches, while Iran regularly contrasts its recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian populations with the Christianity practised in house-churches, which is considered “deviant”, influenced by the West and Israel, and akin to a “sect”. Background Reacting to the original bill, human rights lawyer Hossein Ahmadiniaz, whose clients have included the jailed Christian convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, told Article18 it would “facilitate the repression and punishment of Christian converts and others belonging to unrecognised religious groups”. Hossein Ahmadiniaz (Twitter @H_Ahmadiniaz) “The law should protect citizens, including Christian converts and Baha’is, against the government,” he said. “But in Iran the law has become a tool to justify the government’s violent treatment of converts and other unrecognised minorities.” Meanwhile, Hamid Gharagozloo from the International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR) said: “By making it a crime to be part of a sect, and banning a group as a ‘sect’, it gives them an open hand to crush any form of uprising or dissatisfaction with the government… Any form of defiance will be labelled as a ‘sect’, and then it will be punishable by law.” Even after the bill was returned by the Guardian Council for the first time, Article18’s advocacy director Mansour Borji warned it would likely return in a “perhaps more minimal form, but still the purpose of this legislation – which was tightening control – could be served by using a more legal language that would have it pass through the parliament and the Guardian Council. “Therefore,” he added, “we shouldn’t let our guards down and relax, but must monitor the behaviour of the lawmakers and policymakers in Iran, who show an increasing pattern of abuse of religious freedom, because such things are not rare and can happen at anytime with an overwhelmingly conservative parliament and a government that on a daily basis is reported to have violated human rights.