Iran: Christian couple granted a retrial following prison sentence for house church membership

(Worthy News) – A court in Iran has accepted an application for a retrial by an Iranian Christian couple sentenced to a combined 10 years in prison for being members of a house church, Article 18 reports.

Sara Ahmadi, 45, and her husband Homayoun Zhaveh, 64, were arrested in June 2019 and sentenced to imprisonment in November 2020, the UK-based Iranian Christian rights organization, Article 18, reports. They have been in prison since August 2022, when they received the summons to begin serving their prison terms. Homayoun has been imprisoned despite having advanced Parkinson’s disease.

After two failed applications for a retrial, Branch 9 of the Supreme Court finally agreed last month to give the couple a new hearing, Article 18 reports. Notably, Branch 9 also agreed last month to give Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian, who is serving a 10-year sentence for holding church services in his home, a new trial.

Sara and Homayoun’s case will be heard by Branch 34 of Tehran’s appeal court on 9 May, Article 18 reports.

In a statement at the launch of Article18’s joint annual report at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last month, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, Javaid Rehman, said: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and everyone has the right to have a religion, to adopt another religion, of his or her choice, without any coercion,” he said. “And these are what we call ‘non-derogable.’ You cannot derogate from that. Whatever religion or faith I choose for myself, there must not be any interference; the state cannot say, ‘Well, you know, there are public security issues, national security.’ This is my choice! And this is very important for all states to recognize, including Iran.”

Ruled by harsh, intolerant Islamic authoritarians, Iran ranks 8th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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