Iran Sentences Christian Converts To Long Prison Terms
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN (Worthy News) – An Iranian court has sentenced a Christian woman pregnant with her first child to 16 years imprisonment while two other believers also received lengthy jail terms for activities related to the Christian faith, trial observers confirmed Wednesday.
Abbas Soori, Mehran Shamloui, and Narges Nasri, “who is approximately halfway through her pregnancy,” were sentenced by “notorious Revolutionary Court judge Iman Afshari on 8 March – International Women’s Day” added Article18, an advocacy group closely following the case.
“Narges, who is 37 years old, received the stiffest sentence – 10 years for ‘propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law,’ five for membership of an ‘opposition group’ (house-church) and an additional one year for ‘propaganda against the state’ – for having posted on social media in support of the Women, Life, Freedom movement,” the group explained.
“Abbas, 48, received a total of 15 years in prison – 10 years for “propaganda activities” and five for membership of an “opposition group” – while Mehran, 37, received an eight-year sentence for the first charge and two years and eight months for the second,” Article18 added.
All three were also sentenced to years of deprivation of social rights, such as health, employment, or education – 15 years each for Narges and Abbas and 11 years for Mehran, according to trial observers.
Additionally, Narges and Abbas were fined 330 million tomans ($3,500) each and Mehran 250 million ($2,750). The two were also “banned from membership of any group, residing in their home province of Tehran or leaving Iran for two years after their release,” Article 18 explained.
The three Christians were reportedly detained on November 3 last year in raids by intelligence agents on their homes in Tehran, the capital, during which personal belongings, including Bibles, crosses, and musical instruments, were confiscated.
CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN
Mehran is a musician, and his supporters said the equipment the agents confiscated from him was worth around $5,500.
The Christians were then transferred to Ward 209 of the notorious Evin Prison, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence, according to sources familiar with the case.
They were reportedly released on bail equivalent to more than $20,000 each a month later, following a series of lengthy and intensive interrogations.
Their court hearing that led to their conduction occurred on February 15 at Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, Article 18 said.
During the hearing, the Christians were reportedly charged with “membership of opposition groups,” “propaganda against the system,” and “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law through foreign relations” under Iranian legislation.
Besides them, at least 10 other Christians were arrested on the same November day during coordinated raids on Christian homes across the country, Christians said. The raids were said to have been carried out in the cities of Karaj (near Tehran), Mashhad in the north-east, and Shiraz and Bandar Abbas in the south.
Abbas was previously arrested in 2020 and later sentenced alongside another Christian convert, Maryam Mohammadi, and their pastor, an Iranian-Armenian, Anooshavan Avedian, according to sources familiar with their situation.
TRAVEL BANS
Abbas and Maryam received non-custodial punishments, including travel bans, exile from the province of Tehran, and prohibition of membership in any political or social groups. Anooshavan, who is in his 60s, was given a 10-year prison term. Worthy News learned that he was acquitted in September last year, having served just over one year of his sentence.
The raids are part of a broader crackdown on devoted Christians in the strict Islamic Republic, Worthy News documented. “In Iran, the Christian community is divided between constitutionally recognized and unrecognized Christians,” advocacy group Open Doors explained in a recent assessment.
“Unrecognised converts from Islam to Christianity face severe religious freedom violations, primarily from the government and, to a lesser extent, from society and their families. The government views these converts as a threat, believing they are influenced by Western countries to undermine Islam and the regime,” the group said.
“Both leaders and ordinary members of Christian groups are often arrested, prosecuted, and given long prison sentences for ‘crimes against national security,” Open Doors added.
“Recognised historical communities such as Armenian and Assyrian Christians are state-protected but treated as second-class citizens. They face many discriminatory legal provisions and are not allowed to worship in Persian or interact with Christian converts. Those who support converts can also face imprisonment.”
The latest reported crackdown comes while Iran’s Islamic leadership has come under mounting international pressure over its reported human rights abuses and nuclear program.
Iran ranks 9th on the annual Open Doors’ “World Watch List” of 50 nations, where the advocacy group says Christians face most persecution for their faith in Christ.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.