ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN:
CHRISTIANS APPEAL CONVICTIONS FOR “CONDUCTING EVANGELISM”
BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Iran is known for its human rights abuses and harsh treatment of Christians, whom it claims to be “’threatening national security,’ either for converting people or for attending house churches.” All the while, UN “experts” and spokespersons pay lip service to Iran’s human rights abuses, but take no action. If it ever took Muslim persecution of Christians seriously, the UN would have its hands full. Over 200 million Christians worldwide are facing severe persecution, and 12 out of 14 of the top persecuting countries are Muslim countries. No significant efforts are ever made by the UN on their behalf, which is not surprising, given the power of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the UN.
In 2016, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs for the UN, Miroslav Jenca, told the UN Security Council that “we need to join forces with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to devise joint strategies.” The UN has long been working closely with the OIC, which does not ascribe to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, but instead to the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, which says that all human rights derive from the Sharia. It is no wonder that the ongoing jihad genocide against Christians in the Middle East is being disregarded by the UN, as well as efforts to defend Christian rights and freedoms.
At the end of January, Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz’s wife, Shamiram Isavi, was also sentenced to five years in prison for “acting against national security.”
We can only hope that other human rights groups and Christian watchdogs will continue to advocate stridently on behalf of Victor Bet Tamraz, Shamiram Isavi, Amin Afshar Naderi, and Hadi Asgari.
“Iranian Christians Appeal Convictions By Islamic Court”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 4, 2018:
Three Iranian Christians are due to appear before Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Court on February 4 to appeal against their 2017
convictions on charges of “conducting evangelism” and carrying out
“illegal church activities.”
Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, Amin Afshar Naderi, and Hadi Asgari each
received a provisional sentence of 10 years in prison for the charges
filed against them.
The Islamic judges also imposed an additional five-year prison sentence against Naderi on a charge of blasphemy.
The Revolutionary Court has the power to end the case, confirm the sentences, or refer the case to Iran’s Supreme Court.
Iran’s secretive Revolutionary Court system was established after the
1979 Islamic Revolution to try suspected ideological opponents of the
country’s Islamic rulers.
It operates without juries, without defense lawyers, and often without evidence except confessions extracted through torture.
The court system’s case load includes suspects charged with
espionage, threatening the internal and external security of Iran,
trying to overthrow Iran’s Islamic government, blasphemy, inciting
violence, and drug smuggling.
On February 2, four UN human rights experts issued a joint statement
calling on Iran to ensure “a fair and transparent final hearing” for the
three men.
The UN special rapporteurs said the charges and sentences were
“completely contrary” to Iran’s obligations under international law.
“We are additionally concerned about the lack of health care made
available to them while in detention and, in particular, about the
current health condition of Mr. Asgari, who remains in prison,” they
said.
The UN experts also said they were concerned that the prosecution of the three Christians was not an isolated case.
They called on Iran to “ensure fair trials for all, including the religious minorities in the country.”
“We are aware of several other reported cases in which members of the
Christian minority have received heavy sentences after being charged
with ‘threatening national security,’ either for converting people or
for attending house churches,” their joint statement said.
“This shows a disturbing pattern of individuals being targeted
because of their religion or beliefs, in this case a religious minority
in the country,” they said.
“Members of the Christian minority in Iran, particularly those who
have converted to the faith, are facing severe discrimination and
religious persecution,” the UN experts said.
The UN experts also urged Iran’s government to “immediately and
unconditionally release all those who have been arrested and detained
for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief.”….