Violations of the Rights of Christians in Iran Summary of Arrests and Detention of Christians 2017 - 2020 The table below showcases Christians known to have been arrested and detained, or those who are still awaiting trial, since the beginning of 2017. The list is prepared mainly from public sources and is not exhaustive – confidential cases are omitted for security reasons. Date of 1st arrest: Location of arrest: Currently held at: Status: Sentence: wdt_ID Full Name Date of 1st arrest Location of arrest Short Summary Currently held at Status Charges Bail amount Sentence 1 Mohammad (Vahid) Roghangir 12 Oct 2012 Shiraz, Bandar Anzali Mohammad (Vahid) Roghangir was arrested on 12 October 2012 with seven other members of a church in Shiraz, then released on bail after interrogation. On 16 July 2013, he was sentenced to six years in prison. On 5 July 2014, while waiting for the appeal court verdict, he was re-arrested in Bandar Azali. He was denied early release in October 2016. Released "Acting against national security through house-church activities" --- 6yrs in Prison 6 Ebrahim Firouzi 21 Aug 2013 Karaj Ebrahim Firouzi was arrested with Sevada Aghasar on 21 August 2013 and sentenced to one year in prison. He was re-tried and sentenced on 20 April 2015 to a further five years in prison on similar charges. Ebrahim was released from prison on 26 October but was then made to serve two years in internal exile in the remote province of Sistan and Baluchestan. In March 2020 that exile was extended by a further 11 month owing to an "unauthorised" leave of absence, when Ebrahim visited home to sort out some family affairs related to the death of his mother while he was in prison. In September 2020 Ebrahim was threatened with new charges of "insulting the sacred" and "propaganda against the state through promoting the Christian faith", but the local prosecutor dismissed the charges. However, in February 2021 Ebrahim was summoned again to answer charges of "insulting the sacred" (blasphemy) and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic in favour of hostile groups". Ebrahim went to the prosecutor's office the next day, 8 February, and was transferred immediately to Chabahar Prison. On 13 February Ebrahim began an indefinite hunger strike in protest against the new charges, saying he wouldn't eat again until they were dropped. He ended his hunger strike two days later after receiving assurances from intelligence agents, after which he was transferred to Zahedan Central Prison. He was released on bail on 27 February. He was finally released in November 2021, and not forced to serve the additional 11 months in exile. Released "Propaganda against the state", "Relations, collaboration with, or membership in organisations that aim to disrupt national security", "Insulting the sacred", "Propaganda against the Islamic Republic in favour of hostile groups" 50 million tomans (approx. $16,500) 6yrs in Prison, 2yrs in Exile 7 Sevada Aghasar 21 Aug 2013 Karaj Sevada Aghasar was arrested with Ebrahim Firouzi on 21 August 2013, then released on bail in March 2014. He was sentenced on 20 April 2015 to five years in prison. The appeal was unsuccessful and he began serving his sentence in July 2017. He was granted conditional release two years later, in July 2019. Released "Acting against national security through house-church activities" --- 5yrs in Prison 8 Victor Bet-Tamraz 26 Dec 2014 Tehran On 26 December 2014 security officers raided the house of Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, an Assyrian Christian, during a Christmas celebration. Pastor Victor and two others in attendance were detained. Pastor Victor was released on bail on 1 March 2015. On 3 June 2017, he and three other co-defendants were sentenced to 10 years in prison each for “acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches”. They also received a two-year ban on travel abroad. Finally, after a three-year-long appeal, on 19 July 2020 Victor was informed his appeal had failed. Three weeks later, after his wife was summoned to begin her own prison sentence, the couple fled Iran. Temporarily released on bail , Awaiting summons “Acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches” Approx. $110,000 10yrs in Prison, 2yrs Travel Ban 9 Amin Afshar-Naderi 26 Dec 2014 Tehran On 26 December 2014 security officers raided the house of Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, an Assyrian Christian, during a Christmas celebration. Of those in attendance, Pastor Victor, Amin Afshar-Naderi and Kavian Fallah-Mohammadi were detained. In February 2015 Amin was released on bail. On 26 August 2016, Amin was re-arrested with seven other Christians in Firoozkooh. On 3 June 2017, Amin was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches” and a further five years in prison for “insulting the sacred”. He also received a two-year ban on travel abroad. Amin found out his appeal had been rejected in August 2020, when he was summoned to begin his sentence, but he is no longer in the country and does not intend to return. Temporarily released on bail , Summoned to begin sentence “Acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches”, “insulting the sacred” Approx. $40,000 15yrs in Prison, 2yrs Travel Ban 10 Kavian Fallah-Mohammadi 26 Dec 2014 Tehran On 26 December 2014 security officers raided the house of Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, an Assyrian Christian, during a Christmas celebration. Of those in attendance, Pastor Victor, Amin Afshar-Naderi and Kavian Fallah-Mohammadi were detained. In February 2015 Kavian was released on bail. On 3 June 2017, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches”. He also received a two-year ban on travel abroad. Kavian found out his appeal had been rejected in August 2020, when he was summoned to begin his sentence, but he is no longer in the country and does not intend to return. Temporarily released on bail , Summoned to begin sentence “Acting against national security by organising and conducting house-churches” Approx. $40,000 10yrs in Prison 11 Yousef Nadarkhani 13 May 2016 Rasht On Friday 13 May, 2016, security forces arrested Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and his wife Fatemeh Pasandideh, together with three other members of the self-styled "Church of Iran". Yousef and his wife were released the same day. On 6 July, 2017 Yousef was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting 'Zionist Christianity'". He was also sentenced to two years of exile in Nik-Shahr, in the south of the country. The sentences were upheld by the appeal court on 2 May 2018. At a retrial in June 2020, Yousef's sentence was reduced to six years, but he still faces two years in exile after his release. On 15 April 2022, Yousef was given his very first break from prison, a week’s furlough on bail of 300 million tomans (around $11,500), which was later extended by a further seven days, for which he was eligible having never previously taken any leave. He had been denied his first request for a furlough. In February 2023, Yousef was released as part of the mass release of political prisoners on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Republic. However, he was told he would soon be summoned to receive 30 lashes for reporting late after a furlough, and also to begin the two-year term of exile that was part of his initial sentence. Adelabad Prison-Shiraz Released “Acting against national security by organising house churches and “promoting Zionist Christianity”. Approx. $33.000 2yrs in Exile, 6yrs in Prison 12 Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie 13 May 2016 Rasht On Friday 13 May, 2016, security forces arrested Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie and four other members of the self-styled "Church of Iran". Saheb was released two weeks later on bail. On 10 September 2016, Saheb and two others were sentenced by a civil and revolutionary court to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during Communion. Then on 6 July 2017, Saheb and three other co-defendants were sentenced by a revolutionary court to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting 'Zionist Christianity'" - a sentence upheld by the appeal court on 2 May 2018. In September 2018, Saheb was given a separate sentence of 18 months in prison for “spreading propaganda against the regime”, alongside fellow convert Fatemeh Bakhtari. At a retrial in June 2020, Saheb's 10-year sentence was reduced to six years. Saheb's 80 lashes were carried out on 15 November 2020. Saheb also faces two years in internal exile following his release. In 2021, Saheb was twice told his appeal for parole had been rejected, though he had never applied, maintaining that he could not accept the condition of having no further involvement in house-churches. On 9 February 2023, Saheb was "pardoned" as part of a wider amnesty of prisoners on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Republic. It is not known whether he must still serve his two-year sentence of exile. Released "Drinking wine during Communion", “Acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity”, and "Spreading propaganda against the regime” Approx. $40,000 6yrs in Prison, 2yrs in Exile, 80 Lashes 13 Mohammad-Ali (Yasser) Mossayebzadeh 13 May 2016 Rasht On Friday 13 May, 2016, security forces arrested Mohammad-Ali (Yasser) Mossayebzadeh and four other members of the self-styled "Church of Iran". He was released two weeks later on bail. On 10 September 2016, Yasser and two others were sentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during Communion. On 6 July 2017, Yasser and three other co-defendants were sentenced to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting 'Zionist Christianity'" - a sentence upheld by the appeal court on 2 May 2018. On 22 February 2021, Yasser was granted early release from prison on the condition he engages in no further Christian activity. It's understood his sentence was reduced to three years a month before his release and that he was told he would be freed if he recanted his faith. Released "Drinking wine during Communion" and “acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity” Approx. $40,000 80 Lashes, 3yrs in Prison 14 Mohammad-Reza (Youhan) Omidi 13 May 2016 Rasht On Friday 13 May 2016, security forces arrested Mohammad-Reza (Youhan) Omidi and four other members of the self-styled "Church of Iran". Youhan was released two weeks later on bail. On 10 September 2016, Youhan and two others were sentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during Communion. On 6 July 2017, Youhan and three other co-defendants were sentenced to 10 years in prison for “acting against national security by organising house-churches and 'promoting Zionist Christianity'". Youhan was also sentenced to two years of exile in Borazjan, a city in the south of the country - a sentence upheld by the appeal court on 2 May 2018. In June 2020, Youhan's 10-year sentence was reduced to two years at a retrial. He was released from prison on 18 August 2020, but a month later began his two years in exile. Then, on 14 October 2020, Youhan was summoned back to Rasht to receive his 80 lashes. However, when he went to the local authorities in his city of exile to seek permission to travel back to Rasht, they carried out the lashes then and there. On 6 June 2022, Youhan was finally told he could return home from exile, but warned against any further Christian activities. Released "Drinking wine during Communion" and “acting against national security by organising house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity” Approx. $40,000 80 Lashes, 2yrs in Exile, 2yrs in Prison Date of 1st arrest Location of arrest Currently held at Status Sentence