Christian Prisoner Conditionally Released from Rajaei-Shahr Prison

crossmap.com -In recent remarks, Ali Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader claimed that the Islamic regime treats non-Muslims with "tolerance". This remark clearly contradicts the regime's action in imposing inhumane conditions on prisoners in order to grant them conditional release, reports Mohabat News.

A Christian prisoner, Rasoul Abdollahi was conditionally released on February 18, 2015, after serving 15 months in Rajaei-Shahr prison in Karaj.
Sources close to Mr. Abdollahi report that his release was granted under specific conditions. The conditions prevent Mr. Abdollahi from involving himself in any Christian activities or attending Christian services. Violation of any of these conditions will result in his re-arrest and serving his full sentence.
Mr. Abdollahi was arrested for the first time along with several other Christian converts, in the final days of 2009. He was released on bail early in the following spring to wait for his trial. The Revolutionary Court eventually sentenced him to three years in prison for conspiring against the Islamic regime and for evangelism.
In addition to Rasoul Abdollahi, tens of other Christian converts were arrested on December 26, 2010 in an organized raid by intelligence and security authorities in Tehran. Pastor Farshid Fathi was also among those arrested. Pastor Fathi was illegally held for 15 months before being tried in January 2012. He was sentenced to six years in prison and is currently serving his sentence in Rajaei-Shahr prison. Not only has he not been granted conditional freedom, but he is facing a new charge for which he has been sentenced to a further year in prison. The case is currently under review by the appeals court.
Illegal Transfer to Another Prison
Mr. Abdollahi reported to Evin prison on December 3, 2013, to begin serving his three year sentence. He was then sent to ward 350 of the prison. However, on October 8, 2014, eight prisoners of conscience including three Christian prisoners, namely Rasoul Abdollahi, Ebrahim Firouzi, and Alireza Seyyedian, were transferred to Rajaei-Shahri prison in Karaj with no advance notice.
None of those transferred to Rajaei-Shahr prison are residents of Alborz province, where the prison is located. Therefore, this transfer was considered illegal and done a arbitrarily by prison authorities.

Kaleme News which is affiliated with leaders of the 2009 post presidential election uprising, stated that this transfer was made as part of a project to close down ward 350 of Evin prison. The issue of closing down ward 350 was brought up after a bloody raid on the ward on April 17, 2014.
Earlier Mohabat News reports stated that the other Christian prisoner, Pastor Farshid Fathi was transferred out of ward 350 of Evin prison and into Rajaei-Shahr on August 19, 2014.
Forced to Sign Unfair Disclaimer
Rasoul Abdollahi is not the first Christian prisoner being released on the condition of signing an unfair disclaimer. Last month another Christian convert prisoner, Vahid Hakani, was conditionally released from Adel-Abad prison and forced to sign an unreasonable disclaimer.
Such disclaimers require their signatories to keep away from all Christian activities. This totally contradicts the Iranian Supreme Leader's recent remarks addressed to the representatives of religious minorities in the Iranian Parliament. In this statement he claimed that the Islamic regime of Iran treats non-Muslims with tolerance. Pointing out some mistreatment toward Muslims in the west he added, "They - western countries - claim to respect Human Rights. They should be compared to what we have in Iran. Such mistreatment has never occurred in Iran. That is after the Islamic revolution. There has been no record of harassment of non-Muslims under our regime. Even the young hotheaded Hezbollah members do not allow themselves to attack a non-Muslim."
It seems the leadership of Iran is completely ignorant of what its agents do to the followers of non-Islamic faiths. He seems to fail to realize that Christians do not have the freedom to express their faith in public and Farsi-speaking Christians are completely restricted from worship and receive lengthy prison sentences for practising their faith.
(c) Christian Telegraph www.christiantelegraph.com

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