A Christian prisoner’s request for early release has been rejected.

Behnam Irani has been in prison since May 2011 after being convicted of “actions against national security” and “propaganda against the system” – for his Christian activities.

He was arrested at his “house church” in Karaj in April 2010 and convicted in January 2011. 

When he was taken to prison in May 2011, the Christian convert believed he was going to serve a one-year sentence, but during his incarceration he learned that the one-year sentence had been added to an earlier suspended five-year jail term on similar charges, dating back to 2008 – so six years in all.

In March 2015, he wrote a letter to the prison authorities, requesting early release.

But Branch 7 of the Public Court of Karaj rejected his request, saying in a statement: “Because there is no sign of remorse in the prisoner, but he is continuing his illegal actions, so the court is rejecting this request and until the time that he officially and clearly states his remorse, it will be rejected.”

However, a legal expert told the HRANA news agency that in Iranian law Penal Code, “the need for repentance” is not a requirement for release. 

Behnam’s case has been widely reported by Christian websites and raised with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.