A Christian convert arrested during a raid by Revolutionary Guards on a gathering of Christians in northern Iran last month has reportedly been released on bail of over $40,000, after being charged with “gathering and collusion” and “propaganda against the regime”.

According to Iranian Christian website Mohabat News, Somayeh Rajabi was released from Mati Kola Prison in Babol on International Women’s Day, 8 March, the same day that three other Christians in Tehran, including a pregnant woman, Narges Nasri, were sentenced to over 40 years in prison.

Somayeh was arrested on the evening of 6 February, when at least 20 plainclothes IRGC agents raided a large gathering of Christians in Gatab, Mazandaran Province, at which Christians from the nearby cities of Gorgan and Babol had joined together.

Bibles, musical instruments and communication devices were confiscated, while the agents also demanded access to personal details and mobile-phone passwords.

According to Mohabat News, the agents also conducted body searches, with those wearing cross necklaces singled out and officers forcibly tearing them off, injuring several individuals. Meanwhile, emergency medical personnel who attempted to assist the injured were reportedly blocked by the agents.

A day after her arrest, Somayeh was permitted a brief phone call to her family, informing them that she had been transferred to a prison in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran Province. 

Mohabat News reports that she was transferred to the prison in Babol after her interrogations were completed.

Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, commented:

“Setting exorbitantly high bail amounts for Christians detained solely for exercising their lawful right to religious freedom is a cruel and oppressive tactic, especially amid Iran’s ongoing economic crisis. While millions of Iranians struggle with severe austerity, the government exploits their financial hardship to further punish and silence religious minorities.

“This practice not only deprives detainees of their liberty but also inflicts immense economic and emotional strain on their families, effectively weaponising poverty against them. Such targeted persecution underscores the regime’s use of financial barriers to suppress religious diversity and intimidate those who dare to worship freely.”