Five Iranian Christian converts sentenced to 25 years in prison

Iranian courts have sentenced five Christian converts to more than 25 years in prison.

The Ahvaz Revolutionary Court sentenced Hamid Afzali to 10 years in prison and Nasrollah Mousavi, Bijan Gholizadeh and Iman Salehi to five years in prison. Zohrab Shahbazi was also sentenced to 9 months in prison, for a total of 25 years and 9 months, a human rights group said. Hengaw Wednesday.

“So far, no information is available on the specific charges against these five Christian converts or the details of their accusations,” Hengaw said.

Article 18, a London-based nonprofit focused on human rights violations against Christians in Iran, reported that the detainees are all from the town of Izeh in Khuzestan province.

“The convictions were based on article 500 of the penal code, which has been used on numerous occasions to convict Christians,” Article 18 states.

Additionally, Yasin Mousavi, another Christian convert from Izeh, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Yasin was sentenced to 10 years in prison for “membership in a group intending to disrupt national security” and another 5 years for “propaganda against the regime through the promotion of 'Zionist' Christianity,” according to the website Iranian Christian. Mohabat News.

Mousavi was previously arrested during Iran's national uprising dubbed the 2022 Women's Life Freedom Protests and later released on 20 billion rials ($30,000) bail.

He was arrested again on December 22, 2023, as part of a larger wave of repression against Christians in Izeh by intelligence forces. He was transferred to Ahvaz Central Prison (Sheiban) after 20 days of detention at the Ministry of Intelligence detention center, in accordance with Article 18.

Although Christians are recognized as a religious minority in Iran, authorities impose harsh sanctions, particularly on those who convert from Islam to Christianity.

Renouncing Islam is prohibited under Sharia law and the punishment could be death, although the Iranian government has lesser penalties.

In his annual report published in February this year, Titled “Faceless Victims: Violations of Christian Rights in Iran,” Article 18 urges Iran to release all Christians detained on charges related to their faith and to specify places where Persian-speaking Christians can freely pray. in their native language without fear of being arrested or prosecuted.