A 60-year-old Iranian Christian convert will begin serving a six-year prison sentence for allegedly “acting against national security by promoting ‘Zionist’ Christianity.”
Mina Khajavi was arrested in 2020 and the sentencing took place in 2022, involving two other people: Christian convert Malihe Nazari, who was sentenced to six years in prison, and Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian, sentenced to 10 years .
As Shahbazian and Nazari began to serve After their conviction a few months later, Khajavi was initially deemed unfit for incarceration due to a car accident that resulted in a severe ankle fracture, requiring the insertion of metal plates.
Despite continuing physical difficulties, such as walking with a limp and developing arthritis, Khajavi was instructed on January 3, 2024 to report to Evin Prison within five days.
Shahbazian and Nazari, convicted of similar charges, were granted early release. Shahbazian’s sentence was initially reduced to two years by an appeals court judge, citing insufficient evidence under Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code, regarding the organization of groups considered a security threat national. In September 2023, Shahbazian was fully pardoned and released. Nazari, released earlier in 2023, was reportedly granted her release due to the declining health of her son, who was hospitalized with leukemia.
Activists are demanding the immediate and unconditional exoneration of Khajavi, who faces imprisonment solely because of his Christian faith. They also urge Iran to stop harassing the Christian community and adhere to the Supreme Court’s November 2021 ruling which explicitly states that “the promotion of Christianity and the formation of a house church are not criminalized under the law” and should not be considered a criminal act. threat to national security.
