Three Iranian Christians have been arrested in the city of Rasht in the country’s north, according to religious freedom advocacy group CSW.
The UK-based organisation reported that two members of the Church of Iran – Babak Hosseinzadeh and Behnam Akhlagh – were arrested while attending a church service on 23rd February while a third man, Mehdi Khatibi, was arrested the some day following a summons from the secret police.
CSW said the arrests bring to six the number of people arrested in the city over the past five weeks. Those arrested earlier include Hossein Kadivar and Khalil Dehghanpour – both arrested on 29th January – and Pastor Matthias Haghnedjad who was detained on 10th February by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Haghnedjad has been arrested and tried in several cities since 2006.
Mervyn Thomas, CEO of CSW, said the most recent arrests as the “latest in a heightened campaign of repression that has seen Christians receiving excessive charges and sentences merely for exercising their right to manifest their religion in private and in community with others and in a peaceable manner”.
“Many more are being punished for adopting a religion of their choice in accordance with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is party. CSW urges the Iranian authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all who have been arrested or imprisoned unjustly. These arrests and sentences constitute a grave violation of the Iranian constitution, as well as of the nation’s international legal obligations.”
CSW has also reported that an appeal by Assyrian Pentecostal Church leader Shamiram Issavi against a five year sentence imposed in January last year for “acting against national security” was postponed on 19th February.
