Elisa Shahvardian, an Armenian Christian, was arrested with her husband while visiting family.
The couple was apprehended by Iranian Intelligence Ministry agents on August 24, taken to a friend’s home in Tehran and transported to Evin Prison.
Elisa was eventually released on bail. Her husband, Hakop Gochumyan, remains detained in Evin, more than four months since their initial arrest while visiting Iran with their two children.
The family had their personal belongings confiscated, including Christian books. While the children were entrusted to an aunt, Elisa and her husband underwent long interrogations in solitary confinement.
Despite their tribulations, neither Elisa nor Hakop have been officially chargeda flagrant violation of international human rights standards.
Elisa, accused of participating in “illegal Christian activities,” strongly refuted any wrongdoing during their visit to Iran in a post on X. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are legal in Iran, while minorities such as the Bahai are not.
