A Christian convert summoned to begin a five-year prison sentence for “promoting deviant beliefs contrary to the sacred law of Islam”, and her husband, are now outside Iran and do not intend to return.

Elnaz Ghorbani was summoned last Saturday to report to Qarchak Women’s Prison, south of Tehran, within five days. However, the 36-year-old has been outside the country for some time now, having been threatened with arrest following a raid by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) agents on her mother’s home in Tehran in October 2024.

Elnaz’s husband, 34-year-old Sohrab Ghavidel, who was not present during the raid, initially stayed behind in Iran to care for his sick father, but he too fled the country after being arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents a month later, and subjected to psychological torture during nine days in detention.

During his detention, Sohrab was taken to Branch 9 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht, where he was charged under Article 500 bis of the Islamic Penal Code with having engaged in “propaganda against the system through educational and propaganda activities that promote deviant beliefs contrary to the sacred law of Islam, and the establishment of a Christian proselytising network”.

After being released on bail equivalent to around $7,000, Sohrab fled the country to join his wife in a neighbouring country.

In May last year, the Varamin Revolutionary Court sentenced Elnaz and nine of her fellow Christian convert friends to a combined total of nearly 30 years in prison under Article 500 bis.

At the time of writing, the outcome of the judicial case against Sohrab remains unclear. Meanwhile, at least one of Elnaz’s friends has also been summoned to serve their sentence, though it is unclear whether they have gone to prison or intend to do so.