March 25th 2021 | Article18
A Christian convert with advanced Parkinson’s disease and his wife have been summoned to begin their prison sentences for belonging to a house-church. This is the title of the article published by Article18, consecrated to the persecution of Christians in Iran.
Homayoun Zhaveh, who is 62 years old, and his wife Sara Ahmadi, 42, received the summons on Friday, telling them to report to Tehran’s Evin Prison within days.
Their lawyer has applied for a retrial.
Article18’s advocacy director, Mansour Borji, said last week that the court’s decision to hand down a prison sentence to a man of Homayoun’s age and condition – only for his membership of a house-church – “would be shocking were it not for Iran’s proven track record of systematically persecuting Persian-speaking Christians, regardless of their age, health, or any other reasonable considerations”.
Homayoun faces two years in prison, while his wife was given a stiffer sentence of eight years for her alleged leadership role within the house-church.
The sentences were handed down in November 2020 but only reported last week after the couple were informed by their lawyer that they could be summoned any day.
Sara was initially sentenced to 11 years in prison, but her sentence was reduced to eight years on appeal.
However, all other elements of the couple’s sentences remain, including a ban from foreign travel or membership of any social or political group for two years after their release, and six months’ community service at a centre for the mentally disabled.
Read the full article in the original website: Article18
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