Christian convert Hossein Saketi Aramsari has been sentenced to one year in prison for “promoting Christianity”.

Hossein, who is known as Stephen, was first arrested by Ministry of Intelligence agents on 23 July 2013 in the Golestan Jungle, according to HRANA.

He was then transferred to the Jajarm Intelligence Office and then the Bojnourd Intelligence Office, and after 15 days in solitary confinement his case was handed over to the Revolutionary Court of Alborz on charges of “propagating Christianity”.

On 6 August he was handed over to the Karaj Intelligence Office and spent until 26 October in solitary confinement in Ward 8 of Karaj’s Rajaei Shahr Prison. He was then transferred to Karaj Central Prison.

In mid-November, he was taken to Branch 6 of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj, where he made his final defence against the charge of “propagating Christianity”. He was eventually sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 1 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Asef Hosseini.

The verdict, which was handed down to him verbally after several court hearings, was issued after the court had previously granted him bail but not allowed his family to pay it.

Stephen is currently being held in Ward 7 of the Karaj Central Prison, where Behnam Irani, Ali Moezzi and Mohammad Reza Pourshajari are also being held.