Christian convert receives 3 year prison sentence in Kermanshah

Monday, 27 February 2012

Inquiry court for Masoud Delijani, a Christian convert was held in Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah. He had been arrested by plain clothes security forces in a house church gathering.

According to reporters of Iranian Christian news agency, Mohabat News, Masoud Delijani has been sentenced in the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah province to three years in prison.

Knowledgeable sources reported that the Christian convert was sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court while the judicial process in this show-off court was unclear. He was also denied the right to choose his own advocate and was not even given the chance to defend himself against the charges.

This sentence has been issued although the Islamic Republic constitution clearly states that all defendants have the right to access a lawyer and according to the law, the court should provide the means so that the accused will have access to a lawyer.

Masoud Delijani, a school teacher in Kermanshah, is now being held in Deizal-Abad prison of Kermanshah to serve his three year prison sentence. The central prison of Kermanshah, also known as Deizal-Abad is described as deplorable by knowledgeable sources.

The wife and family of Mr. Delijani are not in a good mental state knowing he should remain in prison for 3 years. Received report indicates that his wife is only allowed to have a brief visit with him every two or three weeks from behind a glass and through the intercom.

It should be remembered that Masoud Delijani was arrested by plain clothes intelligence officers on March 17, 2011, together with his wife and nine other Christian converts when they had gathered in a house church for a service. Then, on July 9, 2011, after being held in custody, mostly in solitary confinement for 114 days, and after being severely pressured both mentally and physically, he was temporarily released on a bail of 100 million Tomans (about 100,000 USD).

While waiting for a call from the court, he was again arrested two weeks later and tried in the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah. The court charged him with having faith in Christianity, holding illegal house church gatherings, evangelizing Muslims and action against national security.

- The situation of Christians in Kermanshah

The arrest of Christians in Kermanshah began at the same time as the broad series of arrests across the country at Christmas 2010. This anti-Christian wave resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of many Iranian Christians in various cities including Kermanshah. Security authorities raided many house church gatherings in Kermanshah and arrested numerous Christian converts. However some of these Christian detainees were freed after paying a bail or signing a disclaimer.

Also, according to a letter classified as secret, the Police forces of Kermanshah called on the head of the trade council of the province to collaborate with police in identifying religious minorities active in different businesses and send their names, addresses and the phone number of their workplaces to them.

In another incident in Kermanshah, prior to the start of the broad wave of arrests at Christmas 2010, one of the three Assyrian churches of Iran was closed on January 2, 2010 for promoting Christianity among Farsi-speaking Muslims and preaching the gospel. This occurred with the cooperation of the Assyrians' representative in the Islamic parliament, the representative of the Security Council of Kermanshah province, the Intelligence office and the office of the governor of Kermanshah.