Twelve Christian converts, including one currently detained by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were due to appear in court today in the northern city of Nowshahr after the prosecutor noted in his indictment that they had “identified themselves as Christians during their defence”.

The 12 Christians summoned to Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Nowshahr today were among over 20 Christians first arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents in Nowshahr and neighbouring Chalus last Christmas.

Three of the Christians, Jahangir Alikhani, Hamed Malamiri, and Gholam Eshaghi, were re-arrested by IRGC agents in September and detained for nearly two months, before their release on bail last Sunday (17 November).

But on that very same day, another of the 12, Javad Amini, who is 40 years old, was detained, alongside his uncle, who has not been named but is not understood to have any connection to the case. 

According to Article18’s sources, the car that Javad and his uncle were in was suddenly surrounded by IRGC vehicles, and the two men were later transferred to a detention centre in Sari, the provincial capital, where Jahangir, Hamed and Gholam had been taken two months’ prior. 

Article18 understands that the agents confiscated Javad’s keys from him, and let themselves into his home, without knocking, terrifying his wife and 10-year-old daughter. His wife was also later interrogated.

Meanwhile, Jahangir, Hamed and Gholam were reportedly subjected to physical as well as psychological torture during prolonged interrogations, and asked to write letters renouncing their Christian faith and expressing remorse for their actions in order to secure their release.

Last month, the 12 Christians were summoned to the prosecutor’s office to submit their defence against charges of “propagating a religion contrary to Islam” and “collaborating with foreign governments”.

They were then summoned to appear at the 1st Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Nowshahr on 10 November, but the hearing was adjourned as not every defendant – including the three detained – was present.

The indictment made clear that the Christians were to be charged under the amended Article 500 of the penal code, under which several Christians have already received long prison sentences, and which has been labelled a “full-on attack on religious freedom”.

“They have identified themselves as Christian during their defence,” Prosecutor Mohammad Reza-Ebrahimi wrote in the indictment. “And this is supported by the messages exchanged in their phones,” as well as through the “Gospels and other Christian literature found in their possession.” 

The prosecutor concluded that the 12 had “set up groups to teach the Christian religion” and were therefore guilty of a crime.

The Islamic Republic of Iran claims to protect the rights of Christians as one of three recognised religious minorities, but converts are not treated as Christians and continue to be arrested on account of their religious identity, as clearly shown in this latest indictment.

Last week, a new UN resolution called on Iran to “cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity, to release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a minority religious group … and to ensure that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, including the freedom to have, to change or to adopt a religion or belief of their choice, in accordance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.