Three Christian clergymen in Iran,
each facing 6-years in prison for their faith, recently attended a second
appeal hearing. Reports noted that yet
another Christian, a house church leader in Shiraz, was recently arrested.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas in a news release said, “The charges faced by
Pastors Behnam Irani, Matthias Haghnejad and Deacon Silas Rabbani are clearly
unjust, as Mr. Farahani has argued in court. We continue to call on the authorities to
release these clergymen along with Ebrahim Hosseinzadeh [house leader],
unconditionally and without delay. Their
only ‘crime’ is to exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief, as
guaranteed in the International Covenant
of Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is signatory. We urge the Iranian government to uphold this
right for religious minorities in Iran, in line with its obligations under
international law and the provisions upholding the rights of religious minorities
in its own constitution.”
Irani, Haghnejad, and Rabbani were
represented by their lawyer Moshkani Farahani in court, who previously had been
denied access to his clients. While the
Iranian court has accused the men of political crimes, CSW has argued that they
are being persecuted for their Christian faith. Farahani argued that people cannot be
sentenced on political charges only because they belong to a religious
community. “It is normal for members of
minorities to be in touch with each other; Jews are in touch with others;
Zoroastrians are in touch with each other; it is the same for Assyrians, Orthodoxies
and Evangelicals. Such connections
cannot be perceived as a penal crime,” the lawyer told the court.
Another Christian house church
leader, 32-year-old Hosseinzadeh, was also arrested last month, CSW learned. The man was apparently apprehended by Iran’s
Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which took his Christian books and
laptop during the raid on his apartment. Hosseinzadeh is reportedly still detained at
the Pelak 100 detention center in Shiraz.
Christians in Iran continue facing
arrests and charges for their faith, despite the Islamic country seeking to
arrange a nuclear deal with the U.S. and other western nations.
Last month, the deadline for the
negotiations was extended until July 1st, 2015, after it became clear that more
time will be needed to work out the details. Iran has promised not to use its nuclear
capabilities to build weapons, and is hoping that the western states will ease
sanctions to allow it to continue its work.
Groups such as the American Center
for Law and Justice have argued, however, that Iran cannot be trusted unless it
shows evidence it is willing to improve its record on religious minorities,
such as releasing Pastor Saeed Abedini – an American citizen serving 8-years in
prison in Iran for his faith.
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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