Case Studies

Saheb Fadaie, Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Youhan Omidi

Saheb Fadaie, Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Youhan Omidi

This case study was used as part of a UK government-funded report into the persecution of Christians worldwide. The case […]

Ramin Hassanpour, Saeede Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi and Mehri Behjati

Ramin Hassanpour, Saeede Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi and Mehri Behjati

These four converts were given prison sentences of between two and five years for “acting against national security” by belonging to a house-church and “spreading Zionist Christianity”.

Ahmad Sarparast, Morteza Mashoodkari and Ayoob Poor-Rezazadeh

Ahmad Sarparast, Morteza Mashoodkari and Ayoob Poor-Rezazadeh

Ahmad Sarparast, Morteza Mashoodkari, and Ayoob Poor-Rezazadeh are the second trio of converts to have been imprisoned as a result of convictions under the amended Article 500 of the penal code.

Bahram Nasibov, Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh

Bahram Nasibov, Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh

Christian convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh was arrested alongside three Christians visiting from Azerbaijan – Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Bahram Nasibov – in June 2016 at a private gathering near Tehran.

Malihe Nazari, Joseph Shahbazian and Mina Khajavi 

Malihe Nazari, Joseph Shahbazian and Mina Khajavi 

Iranian-Armenian Christian Joseph Shahbazian and Christian converts Mina Khajavi and Malihe Nazari have been sentenced to a combined total of 22 years in prison solely for practising their Christian faith.

Sara Ahmadi and Homayoun Zhaveh

Sara Ahmadi and Homayoun Zhaveh

Iranian Christian converts Homayoun Zhaveh and his wife Sara Ahmadi were sentenced to two and 11 years in prison, respectively, in November 2020 for membership and leadership of a house-church.

Anooshavan Avedian 

Anooshavan Avedian 

Iranian-Armenian Christian Anooshavan Avedian faces 10 years in prison under the amended Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code for what a notorious judge called “propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam”.

Shahrooz Eslamdoust, Mehdi Khatibi, Babak Hosseinzadeh, Hossein Kadivar, Mohammad Vafadar, Matthias Ali-Haghnejad, Behnam Akhlaghi, Khalil Dehghanpour and Kamal Naamanian

Shahrooz Eslamdoust, Mehdi Khatibi, Babak Hosseinzadeh, Hossein Kadivar, Mohammad Vafadar, Matthias Ali-Haghnejad, Behnam Akhlaghi, Khalil Dehghanpour and Kamal Naamanian

Nine converts whose five-year sentences for “acting against national security” were challenged by Iran’s Supreme Court.

Ebrahim Firouzi and Sevada Aghasar

Ebrahim Firouzi and Sevada Aghasar

Sevada Aghasar, an Iranian-Armenian Christian, and Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert, were arrested on 21 August 2013, just a week before Ebrahim was due to be summoned to serve a one-year jail sentence.

Hadi Asgari, Shamiram Issavi, Victor Bet-Tamraz and Amin Afshar-Naderi

Hadi Asgari, Shamiram Issavi, Victor Bet-Tamraz and Amin Afshar-Naderi

This case study was used as part of a UK government-funded report into the persecution of Christians worldwide. The case involves four Christians […]