An appeal court has acquitted nine Christian converts who were imprisoned for “acting against national security” and “promoting Zionist Christianity” according to website Article18.
While the nine men had already spent time imprisoned on the basis of these accusations, the judges said there was “insufficient evidence” for their alleged crimes.
The Christians had been serving five-year prison sentences for membership of house-churches, until the Supreme Court in November 2021 ordered a review of their case saying they had not committed any offence. They were released conditionally pending the review of their case.
In its Feb. 28 ruling the appeal court mentioned arguments brought forward by the defence, namely that the nine men had only “worshipped in the house-church in accordance with the teachings of Christianity” and that Christians are taught to live in “obedience, submission and support of the authorities”, reported religious freedom advocacy organisation Article18.
“They also noted legal principle of “interpreting any doubt in favour of the accused”, as well as quoting an Islamic saying that teaches that “it is better to make mistakes in pardoning and forgiveness than in punishment,” it added.
A city in Iran, where justice is not always predictable.
The ruling and arguments give hope to Iran’s Christian converts, but it does not serve as a precedent for future trials as the case was not sent back to the Supreme Court for a final decision, Article18 said.
Also, justice in Iran is unpredictable. While the nine Christians were fully exonerated by the Supreme Court, two of them already face new charges and a third was sent back to prison in January by another Supreme Court judge on the grounds of an apparent mistake by an appeals court in a seven-year-old case.
Meanwhile, Christian convert Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh was told last month that his appeal for a retrial was dismissed by the Supreme Court, despite the fact that he is serving a 10-year prison sentence for similar ‘crimes’ as the nine converts who were acquitted just days earlier.
“Unfortunately, the branches of the Supreme Court issue verdicts in an arbitrary way, without considering the rights of the accused,” said Nasser’s lawyer, Mr Soleimani, as quoted by Article18.
Praise God that the Christians were released, and continue to pray for further justice in Iran!