A house-church member from the northern city of Rasht has been released after completing a two-and-a-half-year sentence for his peaceful religious activities.

Morteza Mashhoodkari, along with two other members of the “Church of Iran”, Ahmad (Youḥanna) Sarparast and Ayoub (Farzin) Poor-Rezazadeh, was initially sentenced to five years in prison in April 2022. The trio were convicted under the amended Article 500 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, which criminalises “deviant propaganda and educational activities contrary to the sacred Islamic faith”, citing their involvement in forming a house-church.

This amendment has drawn significant international criticism, with the UN Human Rights Committee calling for it to be “repealed or amended” due to its vague language and use in prosecuting religious minorities.

Morteza’s sentence was reduced by half upon appeal last spring and he was subsequently released from Lakan Prison in Rasht in November 2023 to serve the remainder of his sentence under “open prison” conditions, alongside Youhanna and Farzin.

The “open prison” arrangement is a judicial order issued by the sentencing authority and Iran’s prison classification board, allowing individuals to work under judicial supervision in an industrial facility for a minimal income. For over a year, Morteza worked daily at a factory from 7am to 5pm, while remaining under custodial oversight.

But yesterday, prison authorities informed him that his sentence had officially concluded, relieving him of the obligation to continue reporting daily to the factory. Although he had one month left of his sentence, the authorities told him it was considered as leave, leading to his release.