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Iran Frees Christian Converts Ahead Of Christmas; Concerns Remain
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BAGHDAD (Worthy News) – Three Iranian Christians, who were previously known as Muslims, have been released after ten days in detention just weeks after another Christian was freed after years in jail for his faith, Christians say.
Christian aid workers told Worthy News that the feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) freed Javad Amini, 40, who was detained on November 17 and released on November 27, the day after he was scheduled to appear in court.
Barnabas Aid, an advocacy group and charity closely following the case, confirmed that two unnamed women were arrested and released on the same days as Amini.
Their release came after a Christian in Iran, who his supporters said “was tortured and sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement with a house church,” was released after serving nearly five years.
Christian convert Mehdi Akbari, also known as Yasser, was released from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison on September 29 after the Tehran appeal court reduced his sentence to four years and five months, according to Christians with close knowledge about his case. He had been imprisoned since his arrest in January 2019.
Akbari “was arrested during coordinated raids by intelligence agents” on his home and those of fellow Christian converts in Tehran, Christians recalled. The others arrested were Fatemeh Sharifi, Simin Soheilinia, and Mehdi Rokhparvar, who were reportedly released earlier.
Worthy News learned that Akbari’s release came shortly after that of Anooshavan Avedian, a 62-year-old Iranian-Armenian pastor freed in September after serving just over a year of a 10-year sentence following a successful appeal.
CONCERNS REMAIN
Yet concerns remained about Abkhari as he and the two women detained with him were each required to pay 1 billion tomans ($15,000) for bail to be home for Christmas. “All three had previously been arrested alongside more than 20 others at Christmas 2023,” Barnabas Fund recalled. Bail in Iran could potentially mean they still face detention at a later date.
They were among at least 12 Christians from Nowshahr, northern Iran, who had been due on 27 November to answer charges of “propagating a religion contrary to Islam” and “collaborating with foreign governments.”
IRGC agents also questioned Akbari’s wife along with his uncle, who were both present at his arrest on 17 November, added Christians with knowledge about the situation.
“Agents subsequently visited the couple’s home and confiscated Bibles, Christian literature, and notebooks Javad used for Biblical study,” Barnabas Aid told Worthy News.
One of them was reportedly pressured by Iranian agents who “used the coarse language of a sexual nature in applying psychological pressure,” Christians said.
When the 12 Christians were summoned to court, the prosecutor described the converts as “Shia Muslims” who had “identified themselves as Christians during their defense… and this is supported by the messages exchanged in their phones”, as well as through the “Gospels and other Christian literature found in their possession,” according to remarks shared with Worthy News.
The prosecutor claimed that since the 12 had “set up groups to teach the Christian religion,” they had “committed a crime.”
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES
In a reaction, Barnabas Aid said, “Unlike the historic Armenian- and Assyrian-speaking Christian communities, Farsi (Persian)-speaking Christians are invariably converts from Islam – that is, apostates – and therefore punishable according to Islamic law.”
Christians confirmed that the November trial took place in Akbari’s absence.
The outcome has yet to be announced.
Iran’s Islamic leadership has come under growing international pressure to improve the rights of minorities, including Christians, and its power base was threatened by recent Israeli air strikes as well as protests.
Barnabas Aid asked supporters to pray for Iran and Christians facing difficulties. “Give thanks for the release on bail of Javad [Akbari] and the two women. Ask the Lord to break through the rigid judicial system that punishes converts for choosing to follow Jesus,” it wrote to supporters.
“Pray that justice will be administered for them and the other Christian converts. Pray they will all be released and able to practice their faith in peace.”
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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