www.hrwf.net
HRWF (02.12.2013) – The following HRWF list does not claim to be exhaustive (*) but shows nevertheless the magnitude of the repression. Only the cases related to freedom of religion (freedom of association, freedom of assembly and worship and freedom to manifest one’s religion) have been selected and not “religious prisoners” who have been arrested, detained and imprisoned as human rights activists or on other grounds. The first three items are related to collective arrests. They are then followed by individual arrests of Protestants ranked in alphabetical order.
Protestants
Parham FARAZMAND, Sara SARDSIRIAN, Sedigheh KIANI, Mona FAZLI and one unnamed
Date and Place of arrest: 9th August 2013 – Western Tehran
Place of detention: Unknown
Pastor Farhad SABOKROOH, Shahnaz JAYZAN, Naser ZAMAN-DEZFULI, Davoud ALIJANI (Assembly of God)
Date & Place of arrest: December 2011 and 1st May 2013, Ahwaz
Charges: Conversion from Islam to Christianity, encouraging the conversion to Christianity of other Muslims, and propaganda against the regime by promoting Christianity as missionaries.
Statement of the defendant: Holding Christmas celebrations
Place of detention: Mr.Alijani at Ahwaz’s Karoon Prison, the other three are held at Sepidar Prison
First court decision: Sentenced to one year in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz
Final court decision: 1st May 2013. Conviction upheld by a high court
Other information: After the initial trial in 2011, the four were temporarily released on bail but were re-arrested on 1st May 2013 on the occasion of their sentencing. Pastor Sabokrooh and Jayzan are married.
Farshid MODARES, Aval Samad KAZEMI, Hamid REZA and Yashar Farzin NO, Mohammad Reza PIRI
Date and Place of arrest: 10th July 2013 in Tabiz for the first three, 11th July (NO) and 17th July (PIRI)
Charges: Unknown
Place of detention: Unknown
Date of release: Mr. Kazemi was released on bail a few days after his arrest, but the rest of the group remained detained by early September.
Other information: Mohammad Reza PIRI sustained serious injuries after being tortured and severely beaten during interrogations and had to spend four days in the hospital of the central prison of Tabriz. Prior to the arrests, Yashar Farzin NO and his wife had been repeatedly put under pressures to recant their new Christian faith and return to Islam.
Pastor Saeed ABEDINI (Evangelical Church)
Date of birth: 7th May 1980
Place of residence: Western U.S.A.
Date of arrest: 26th September 2012 in Tehran
Charges: Threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches in the early 2000s
Statement of the defendants: Managing the construction of a non-religious orphanage
Place of detention: Rajai Shahr Prison
Final court decision: 27th January 2013, eight years in prison for endangering national security by aiding underground Christian churches
Other information: Pastor Saeed was granted U.S. citizenship in 2010 through marriage to his American wife. He has also been pressured by prison officials to recant his faith or remain imprisoned indefinitely. Saeed was often beaten and threatened to death in prison. Guards forced him to wear the uniform of a murderer. He was denied bail.
Rev. Robert ASSERIAN (Assemblies of God)
Date & Place of arrest: 21st May 2013, Tehran
Charges: Unknown
Statement of the defendant: Arrested during a prayer meeting at the Church of the Central Assemblies of God in Tehran
Last court decision: Bail, security authorities have asked Asserian and his family to keep their silence
Duration of the Detention: 43 days
Date of Release: 2nd July 2013
Other information: Iranian forces apparently also raided his home and confiscated various items, including his computer and books. The Assemblies of God church is permitted to operate but with many restrictions under Iranian law.
Pastor Vruir AVANESSIAN (Armenian Christian belonging to the Assemblies of God)
Age: 61 years old
Date & Place of arrest: 27th December 2012 in the northern district of Tehran
Charges: Action against national security and proselytizing Farsi-speaking citizens
Statement of the defendants: Gathering at a residential home to celebrate Christmas
Place of detention: Evin Prison in Tehran
Last court decision: Unknown but his trial was held on September 7, 2013 in branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
Date of release: Temporarily released on bail (approximately $60,000 USD) after 15 days of detention
Other information: He is suffering severe health challenges.
Mostafa BORDBAR
Age: 27 years old
Date and Place of arrest: 27th December 2012
Charges: Affiliation to anti-security organization and gathering with intent to commit crimes against Iranian national security
First court decisions: Branch 1 of the court in Rasht found him guilty of apostasy (abandoning Islam) but he was released on bail of 200 million Iranian Rials (around 8,000 USD or 6,000 EUR). On 31st July 2013, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Place of detention: Evin Prison
Last court decision: All charges were withdrawn on appeal on 30th October.
Date of release: 3rd November 2013
Masoud DELIJANI
Date of arrest: 17th March 2011
Charges: Being a Christian, holding illegal house church gatherings, evangelizing Muslims and action “against national security”
Place of detention: Deizal-Abad, central prison of Kermanshah
First court decision: On 9th July 2011, he was released on bail amounting to about 100,000 USD and rearrested two weeks later.
Last court decision: February 2012, sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah
Other information: Before being released on bail, he spent 114 days mostly in solitary confinement.
Farshid FATHI (Assembly of God)
Birth date: 1979
Date of arrest: 26th December 2010
Charges: Action against the regime’s security, being in contact with foreign organizations and religious propaganda
Place of detention: During the first year in Ward 350 of Evin Prison in Tehran and then five more months in solitary confinement.
Last court decision: January 2012, sentenced to six years in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah
Other information: Mr. Fathi, a theology graduate, was a Christian leader arrested during a Christmas crackdown. In April 2013 Fathi’s family left Iran and moved to Canada.
Ebrahim FIROUZI
Age: 28 years of age
Place of residence: Robat-Karim, a town 20 kilometres south-west of Tehran
Date & Place of arrest: 7th March 2013 in Tehran
Charges: Launching and administering a Christian missionary website, distributing Bibles, cooperating with student activists and involvement in actions against national security.
Statement of the defendant: Security authorities and interrogators fabricated allegations.
Place of detention: After being arrested, he was sent to ward 209 of Evin prison and was subject to intense interrogations for ten days. He was then transferred to ward 350. After spending 53 days in custody, Mr. Firouzi was temporarily released on 30 million Tomans (20,000 USD) bail awaiting trial.
Last court decision: On 15th July 2013 the Revolutionary Court in Robat-Karim sentenced him to one year in prison and two years of exile to Sarbaz, a remote border city
Vahid HAKKANI
Date and Place of arrest: 8th February 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, two years and eight months in prison
Place of detention: Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz
Other information: In bad health, he was transferred to hospital in November 2013 but he had to post bail of about $70,000. Shiraz Revolutionary Court said his leave period will not be counted toward his prison sentence and he will need to stay extra time in prison to make up for his time away in hospital. That is illegal according to Iranian law.
Mojtaba Seyyed-Alaedin HOSSEIN
Date and Place of arrest: 8th February 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, Three years and four months
Place of detention: Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz
Maryam JALILI
Date of Arrest: April 2011
Charges: Evangelism among Muslims and being members of a Christian group
Statement of the defendants: Gathering with other Christians to celebrate Christmas
Place of detention: Evin Prison, Tehran
Last court decision: 5th or 4th December 2011, sentenced to two and a half years in prison
Release date: 17th September 2013, six weeks before the end of her normal term.
Other information: She spent a period of time in solitary confinement in Ward 209 at Evin prison.
Samad KAZEMI
Date and Place of arrest: 10th July 2013 in Tabriz
Charges: Unknown
Place of detention: Ministry of Intelligence’s detention center in Tabriz prison
Other information: Released on bail a few days after his arrest
Shahin LAHOUTI
Date and Place of arrest: 12th October 2012 in Shiraz
Charges: Action against national security
Statement of the defendants: Conversion to Christianity
Last court decision: Two and a half years in prison
Place of detention: Adel-Abad Prison in Shiraz
Leila MOHAMMADI
Date of birth: 1982
Place of residence:Kianshahr town, East of Tehran
Date & Place of arrest: 30th July 2011 at her home in Kianshahr town, east of Tehran
Charges: Anti-Islamic propaganda, deceiving citizens by formation of a house church, insulting sacred figures and action against national security
Place of detention:Evin Prison in Teheran
First court decision: January 2012, sentenced to two years in prison by the Revolutionary Court in Moalem Street
Last court decision: The case was sent to the high court of Tehran province to be reviewed.
Mohammad-Reza PARTOEI (Koorosh)
Date and Place of arrest: 8thFebruary 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, two years and eight months in prison
Place of detention: Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz
Mitra RAHMATI
Date and Place of arrests: 24th December 2009 – Pakdasht, April 2011
Charges: Evangelism among Muslims and “being members of a Christian group
Statement of the defendant: Christmas celebration
Place of detention: Evin prison in Tehran
Last court decision: 5th or 4th December 2011, sentenced to two and a half years in prison
Release date: 17th September 2013, six weeks before the end of her normal term
Alireza SEYYEDIAN
Age: 37 years old
Charges: Crimes against national security and propaganda against the regime
Statement of the defendant: Converted to Christianity while living in Turkey
Place of detention: Section 350 of Evin Prison, Tehran
Final court decision: December 2011, sentenced to six years imprisonment
Other information: The judge stated that since he was baptized in Turkey he was trying to express the lack of freedom in Iran and therefore was propagating against the regime. He was also accused of holding regular meetings with converts. In the verdict they also stated that he was distributing Bibles among the youth and that he had had communication with Zionist satellite channels like Mohabat and Radio Mojde, including sharing worship hymns that he has written with them.
Homayoun SHOKOUHI
Date and Place of arrest: 8th February 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, three years and eight months in prison
Place of detention: Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz
Other information: Wife Fariba Nazemian and 17 year old son Nima Shokouhi were also arrested.
Fariba SHOKOUHI-NAZEMI
Date and Place of arrest: 8th February 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, two years suspended prison sentence
Nima SHOKOUHI
Age: 17 years old
Date and Place of arrest: 8th February 2012
Charges: Attending a house church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign ministries, propaganda against the regime and disrupting national security
Last court decision: 17th June 2013, two years suspended prison sentence
Place of detention: Adel-Abad prison
Other information: Father Homayoun Shokouhi and Mother Fariba Nazemian are also in prison.
Maryam Naghash ZARGARAN
Age: 35 years old
Date and Place of arrest: 15th July 2013
Charges: Conducting propaganda against the Islamic regime and acting against the national security
Article of the criminal/civil/administrative code: Article 610 of the Islamic Penal Code
Last court decision: Four years in prison
Place of detention: Evin Prison, Tehran
Other information: She was transferred to Modares hospital on Sept. 29 to be treated for her heart disease.
(*) Any additional information or correction will be welcome.
