They were convicted of “acting against national security and organizing a group to over-throw the regime,” which is absurd — although the Iranian regime no doubt considers the very practice of Christianity to be a threat to its power as the guardians of an Islamic Republic.
“Iranian Court Sentenced Three non-Trinitarian Preachers to 18 Years in Prison and Exile,” Mohabat News, November 3, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
A Revolutionary Court in Karaj, capital of Alborz province, sentenced three members of a non-Trinitarian group to long term imprisonment and exile. The length of this sentence has shocked many of these men’s fellow group members.
This is an initial ruling, meaning convicts, Messrs. Behnam Irani, Reza Rabani and Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad have 20 days to appeal. Their sentence translates into 18 years in jail and exile to Zabol and Minab, in southern Iran.
Behnam Irani had already been sentenced to one year in prison and also had a suspended five year prison term from an earlier court. In addition to these, he was convicted of a new charge and received another six year sentence. The ruling states that he has to spend the six year term in Zabol prison.
Mr. Irani had been arrested in 2006 and a court gave him a suspended five year prison term for “action against national security”. Later, in 2009, he was sentenced to one year in prison for “propagating against the regime”. He has already served this one year prison term and is currently serving his suspended five year term. If the appeals court approves this new sentence, he will serve a total of 12 years in prison.
He has been in prison since 2010.
Reports state that Seyyed Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad (Matias), and Reza Rabani (Silas), were each sentenced to six years in prison as well.
Abdolreza Ali Haghnejad was arrested on August 18, 2011 and Reza Rabani was arrested in December 2013, both for evangelism. They are currently in custody in Rajaei-Shahr prison in Karaj.
Knowledgeable sources report that according to their sentence, they will be serving their prison term in Minab, a small town in Bandar Abbas.
The trial of these three was held on September 31, 2014, in the Revolutionary Court of Karaj. Legal activists believe that during their trial, the judiciary procedural code was not observed at all.
Although the trial began with charges of “enmity with God and corruption on earth” against these three men, by the end, the court convicted them of “acting against national security and organizing a group to over-throw the regime”. The judge, Mr. Asef Al-Hosseini, based his ruling on article 498 of the Islamic penal code….
A transparent excuse for persecuting Christians.
Jay Boo says
Mathew 22:17
Jay Boo says
correction
Matthew 22:37
duh_swami says
charges of “enmity with God and corruption on earth”
That’s Quran 5:33 ainit?
mortimer says
The Koranic word for this ‘corruption’ is actually ‘mischief’.
‘Mischief’ can be any politically incorrect thought, word or deed.
Let the Cultural Marxists beware: If you do not defend freedom of expression EVERYWHERE (including Iran) you will eventually fall your politically correct swords.
The Cultural Marxists are handing their politically correct swords to the Muslim supremacists…aren’t you Mr. Affleck?
deja vu says
‘The Cultural Marxists are handing their politically correct swords to the Muslim supremacists…aren’t you Mr. Affleck?’
Very well put, mortimer.
vag kasparian says
in an islamic state someone who preaches a different religion gets that.in UK and europe jihadis can walk the streets and demand anything they want and simply get away with it.it makes me angry but in reality in shows the difference between these civilizations and ofcourse who is peacefull and who isnt.
Jen says
I wish we could do a deal with all these Muslim majority countries and trade their Christians for our Muslims.
Jae M says
Best idea yet!
VitoE says
Iran’s actions continue to prove the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is a fraud. Iran, one of the 57 Islamic States within the OIC, voted on and approved UN Resolution 16/18. Yet, Iran and the rest of the 57 Islamic States continue to violate individuals Civil, Human and Religious Rights.
Why is this troubling? The OIC is petitioning and actively soliciting the Western Democracies to criminalize Free Speech if you’re deemed to have criticized islam, under the guise of UN Res 16/18. It’s a fraud! Iran, for one, is intolerant and violates civil, human and religious rights on a daily basis. The three individuals in this article who’s rights are violated by Iran, are yet another example of how fraudulent the Islamic co-existence movement is on the West!