Five Iranian Christians have been given long prison sentences totalling 50 years after being convicted over activities linked to their Christian faith, according to organisations monitoring religious freedom.
The group includes two men who had previously been imprisoned and three women. They were sentenced by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court under revised sections of Iran’s penal code, rights group Article 18 reported.
The judge in the case was Abolqasem Salavati, who is known for issuing heavy sentences in cases described as involving national security.
Four of the Christians, Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Aida Najaflou and another woman whose name has not been released, were each given 10-year prison terms. Najaflou was also sentenced to an extra two years for comments posted online. Shahbazian’s wife, Lida Shahbazian, received an eight-year sentence.
The court accused the Christians of working together against the state and spreading material considered hostile to the Islamic Republic. Although the hearing took place in October, the defendants were reportedly informed of the verdicts weeks later, in late November and early December.
They now have 20 days to appeal, but any appeal will be heard by the same court that issued the sentences.
During the investigation, authorities seized personal items from the Christians, including Bibles and other religious books. These were handed to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence for review. Similar actions have been taken in earlier cases involving Christians.
Shahbazian and Gol-Tapeh had both served previous prison terms because of their involvement with house churches, which operate outside the state-approved system. Gol-Tapeh was released in 2022 after almost five years in prison. Shahbazian was freed in 2023 after serving just over a year of an earlier 10-year sentence, before being detained again.
Rights groups said the authorities demanded extremely high bail amounts. Najaflou’s bail was reportedly set at about $130,000, while Gol-Tapeh’s was close to $250,000. Shahbazian was not formally given a bail figure, though his family was led to believe one existed.
Najaflou, aged 44, has serious health problems, including rheumatoid arthritis, and had recently undergone spinal surgery before her arrest. While being held in Evin Prison, she fell from a bunk bed and broke her spine. Although she was briefly taken to hospital, she was returned to prison the same day. An infection later developed, requiring further medical attention.
Her lawyer publicly appealed for help, warning that her condition put her at risk of permanent spinal injury.
Court documents reportedly referred to a speech made in 2010 by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which described house churches as a threat to national security. The indictment linked Protestant Christianity with foreign influence and accused the Christians of acting on behalf of outside interests.
Prosecutors claimed that Shahbazian openly followed Christ’s command to share the Gospel, while Gol-Tapeh was accused of illegally keeping and distributing Bibles. Gol-Tapeh reportedly told investigators that sharing his faith was a natural part of being a Christian.
Article 18 said the case showed serious problems with due process. The defendants were held for months before seeing a judge. Shahbazian, Gol-Tapeh and Najaflou spent around seven months in detention before their first court appearance.
Earlier this year, Gol-Tapeh suffered a stroke after going on hunger strike to protest his re-arrest. Shahbazian has also faced health issues while in custody.
Adapted from The Christian Post.
