An Iranian Assemblies of God (AOG) pastor, his wife and
two church workers have been returned to jail after their one year sentences
for converting to Christianity and “propagation against the Islamic regime
through evangelism" were upheld by a High Court on 1 May.
Pastor Farhad Sabokrooh, his wife Shahnaz Jayzan and
church workers Naser Zaman-Dezfuli and Davoud Alijani were initially arrested
in December 2011, after authorities in the southern town of Ahwaz raided their
church’s Christmas celebrations and detained everyone in the
building, including children attending Sunday School.
According to Iranian agency Mohabat News, all four were
charged with “converting to Christianity and propagating against the Islamic
Republic through evangelism”, and were each sentenced to one year in prison by
the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz. They were temporarily released, but were
summoned to court on 1 May 2013 and re-arrested. Mr Alijani was transferred to
Ahwaz’s Karoon Prison to complete his sentence, while Pastor Sabokrooh, Shahnaz
Jayzan and Mr Zaman-Dezfuli were taken to Sepidar Prison.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has also been
informed that Mostafa Bordbar, a Christian arrested in Tehran in December 2012
and whose case details were obscure, is now confirmed to be detained in Ward
350 of Evin Prison, along with Church of Iran member Alireza Seyyedian and AOG
Pastors Farshid Fathi and Saeed Abedini. Pastor Abedini, who had been placed in
solitary confinement for taking part in a peaceful protest
against prison conditions, has now been returned to Ward 350 after being taken
to hospital this week following a further deterioration in his health.
Mohabat News reports that a Christian prisoner in
Adel-Abad Prison in Shiraz is in urgent need of medical attention. Vahid
Hakkani, who was arrested in February 2012 along with eight others during a
raid on a prayer meeting, is reported to be suffering from internal bleeding
and has been informed by prison doctors that he needs surgery urgently, but so
far this has not occurred.
CSW has also learned that in April 2013, Ebrahim Firoozi,
who was arrested for a second time in March 2013 and charged with launching and
administering a Christian missionary website, distributing Bibles, cooperating
with student activists and involvement in actions against national security,
was temporarily released from Ward 350 of Evin Prison after 53 days in jail,
following a bail payment of approximately 20,000 USD.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “Pastor
Sabokrooh and others have been jailed for exercising their right to change
their religion and to manifest their new faith both privately and in communion
with others. This right is protected by Article 18 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which as a signatory, Iran is
obliged uphold. We continue to call on Iran to fulfill its legal obligations by
guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief for all of its citizens. We also
urge the authorities to ensure that as occurred in the case of Pastor Abdedini,
every prisoner in urgent need of medical attention is given access to medical
facilities and appropriate treatment.”
For further information or to arrange interviews please
contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44
(0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian
organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights,
in the pursuit of justice.
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