Iran: Christian convert starts two-year prison sentence

Iranian Christians request prayer for Fariba Dalir as she serves a two-year prison sentence for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an Evangelical Christian church.”

In July 2021 agents from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested Fariba (51) in Tehran along with five other Christian converts, including her husband-to-be, Soroush.

Fariba was kept in solitary confinement for 38 days then moved to Shahr-e Rey (Qarchak) prison. She was released on 18 November after posting bail of 600 million tomans (about US$22,000 at the time). Soroush and another convert were also detained in solitary confinement for 38 and 20 days respectively before being transferred to Greater Tehran Prison. They were released in October after each submitting bail of 300 million tomans (about US$11,000). The other three converts, including a 17-year old who was not later charged, had been released after 10 days in detention.

Fariba, Soroush and three others appeared before Judge Afshari in the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in November. Fariba was initially sentenced to five years in prison, but this was reduced to two as the judge had wrongly supposed she had a previous criminal record.

Soroush and the other three Christians were each sentenced to 10-months’ imprisonment, but due to time already spent in detention, they were allowed to pay fines of five million tomans each (about US$250) to avert serving further prison time.

Fariba and Soroush married shortly after Fariba’s conditional release in November.

On 16 April Fariba turned herself in to Evin Prison to begin her prison sentence.