Two Christian Converts Summoned to Serve Their Sentence

Two Christian converts, Ramin Hassan-Pour and Saeedeh Sajjad-Pour, were summoned by Branch 1 of the Executive Unit of Evin Criminal Courthouse to serve their sentences. In August of 2020, they were sentenced to 5 and 2 years imprisonment respectively.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Article 18 Organization, two Christian converts Ramin Hassan-Pour and Saeedeh Sajjad-Pour were summoned to appear at the Executive Unit of Evin Criminal courthouse within 20 days to endure their sentence.

In February of 2020, along with two other Christian converts, Catherine Sajjad-Pour and Hadi Rahimi, the two citizens were interrogated at their home by security forces. They searched the house and confiscated some of their personal belongings. Thereafter, they were told that they would be indicted soon.

In May of 2020, Branch 10 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht City summoned and notified them about the charges and thereafter set bail of 500 million for each. On May 14, 2020, all four were transferred to Lakan Prison in Rasht City following the failure to provide bail. In the following days, they were released from detention after reducing the bail to 200 million tomans.

In August of 2020, Hassan-Pour was sentenced to five years and Sajjad-Pour to two years in prison.

Despite the fact that Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Iranian law, security forces nevertheless harass and prosecute Muslims who convert to Christianity.

The prosecution of Christian converts stands in blatant violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which state that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and belief and freedom to express it openly or secretly.

Christian Convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh Denied Conditional Release from Evin Prison

On June 22, Christian convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh’s request for conditional release from Evin Prison was rejected.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting the news website Article 18, the rejection of the request for parole was given to Navard Gol-Tapeh without the provision of any specific reason.

In September 2020, the Supreme Court rejected Navard Gol-Tapeh’s request for a retrial. Navard Gol-Tapeh has been in Evin Prison for the past three years and six months without leave.

Navard Gol Tappeh was arrested in a private gathering in July 2016 and later was sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran to 10 years in prison on charges of “acting against national security by forming and running an illegal organization of a house church”. The verdict was later approved by the Court of Appeals.

Although Christians are recognized as a religious minority under Iranian law, security services nevertheless pursue the issue of Muslims converting to Christianity with particular sensitivity and deal harshly with activists in this field.

The Iranian regime targets Christian converts despite Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that every individual has the right to freedom of religion and the freedom to express their religious beliefs.