Tag: Prisons

Iranian Christians’ jail terms ‘increasing’

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Iranian Christians’ jail terms ‘increasing’
An appeal court in Iran has upheld the ten-year prison sentences handed down to four Christians for “promoting Zionist Christianity” and running house churches. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Saheb Fadaie and Mohammad Reza Omidi  received notification from the court through their lawyer yesterday (2 May), said Middle East Concern. . . . Read More

Iranian Christian convert detained since before Christmas

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Ali Amini (Article 18)
An Iranian convert to Christianity arrested more than two months ago remains in prison in the conservative north-western city of Tabriz, according to rights group Article 18. Ali Amini, known by his friends as Philip, was arrested by revolutionary guards at his workshop in the city on 10 December. His . . . Read More

Eritrea: mental health challenges for Christian man freed after 13 years in prison

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Eritrea remains “one of the worst examples of state-sponsored repression of freedom of religion or belief in the world”, says USCIRF Commissioner. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
Shiden* was young and full of optimism for the future when he was imprisoned for his Christian faith. For the next 13 years he was exposed to torture of different kinds, including months in a very small cell in solitary confinement, and even his eventual release failed to bring about . . . Read More

Iranian Christian women describe ‘world’s most brutal prison’

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Iranian Christian women describe ‘world’s most brutal prison’
Two Iranian Christian women who once faced the threat of execution for their faith have described the conditions inside Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, calling it “the most brutal prison in the world”. Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, who spent eight months there in 2009/10, now live in the US, where . . . Read More

Pakistani Christians face discrimination in prisons too

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Pakistani Christians face discrimination in prisons too
Pakistani Christians, often discriminated against because of their faith and standing as members of Pakistan’s lowest caste, find that discrimination follows them in prisons as well. The justice system is extremely slow in Pakistan and, as a result, thousands of Pakistanis languish in overcrowded jails, having yet to face trial. . . . Read More

Iranian converts: one needs urgent care, another denied chance to see mum with cancer

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Iranian converts: one needs urgent care, another denied chance to see mum with cancer
The health of Iranian Christian convert, Maryam Naghash Zargaran, continues to decline, sources told Mohabat News. It was reported that over the past week her condition worsened and she is again in need of urgent medical care. According to a prison mate, Zargaran is also suffering from severe weight loss. The stressful . . . Read More

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws ‘fundamentally unfair’

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Pakistan’s implementation of its controversial blasphemy laws is “fundamentally unfair”, according to a report by the International Commission of Jurists. The ICJ report documents problems including: intimidation and harassment of judges and lawyers, bias against defendants, undue rejection of bail and prolonged pre-trial detention, “incompetent” investigation and prosecution, the prosecution . . . Read More

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