Additional Name(s): احمد سرپرست
Gender: Male
Current Location: Lakan Prison
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 5 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: May/8/2022
Date of Sentencing: April//2022
Date of Release: October//2023
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Practicing Religion as a Convert Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Ahmad Sarparast was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.
In September 2021, authorities arrested Sarparast, a member of the Church of Iran, and others in Rasht reportedly in relation to their religious practice. Sarparast was reportedly held in solitary confinement.
Later in September 2021, Sarparast was released on bail.
In April 2022, Branch 2 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court reportedly sentenced Sarparast to five years in prison for "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC). Article 18 reported the charge as “engaging in propaganda and education of deviant beliefs contrary to the holy Sharia” and “connections with foreign leaders."
On May 8, 2022, intelligence agents reportedly arrested Sarparast from his home.
In October 2023, Sarparast was reportedly granted conditional release from prison. He must report to the prison everyday to engage in compulsory work.
Related Cases: Ayub Pour Rezazadeh, Morteza Mashhood Kari
Photo attributed to Article 18
"Converts released from prison but must report back daily for work" Article 18
"آزادی سه نوکیش از زندان؛ «هر روز باید برای کار خود را معرفی کنند»" Article 18
"Ahmad Sarparast" United for Iran
"House-church members still detained, families told upcoming appeal doomed" Article 18
"Christian Convert Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud-Kari Arrested in Rasht" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Converts already facing charges re-arrested in Rasht" Article 18
"Christian converts given five-year sentences for ‘deviant propaganda’" Article 18
"Christian convert released on bail after month’s incommunicado detention" Article 18
Additional Name(s): Ayoob Poor-Rezazadeh, Ayoub Pourreza-Zadeh, ایوب پوررضازاده
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 5 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: May/8/2022
Date of Sentencing: April//2022
Date of Release: October//2023
Current Status: Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Practicing Religion as a Convert Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Spreading Propaganda & False or Misleading Ideas, Information, or Materials
Ayub Pour Rezazadeh was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert.
In September 2021, authorities arrested Rezazadeh, a member of the Church of Iran, and others in Rasht reportedly in relation to their religious practice. Rezazadeh was reportedly held in solitary confinement.
In October 2021, Rezazadeh was released on bail.
In April 2022, Branch 2 of the Rasht Revolutionary Court reportedly sentenced Rezazadeh to five years in prison for "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC). Article 18 reported the charge as “engaging in propaganda and education of deviant beliefs contrary to the holy Sharia” and “connections with foreign leaders."
On May 8, 2022, intelligence agents reportedly arrested Rezazadeh from his home.
In October 2023, Rezazadeh was reportedly granted conditional release from prison. He must report to the prison everyday to engage in compulsory work.
Related Cases: Morteza Mashhood Kari, Ahmad Sarparast
Photo attributed to Article 18
"Converts released from prison but must report back daily for work" Article 18
"آزادی سه نوکیش از زندان؛ «هر روز باید برای کار خود را معرفی کنند»" Article 18
"Ayub Pour Rezazadeh" United for Iran
"House-church members still detained, families told upcoming appeal doomed" Article 18
"Christian Convert Morteza Hajeb Mashhoud-Kari Arrested in Rasht" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Converts already facing charges re-arrested in Rasht" Article 18
"Christian converts given five-year sentences for ‘deviant propaganda’" Article 18
"Christian convert released on bail after month’s incommunicado detention" Article 18
Additional Name(s): سید صدرالله فاضلی زارع
Gender: Male
Current Location: Arak Prison
Perpetrator: Iran
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: Death
Date of Detainment: May//2020
Date of Death: May/8/2023
Current Status: Deceased
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Expression about Religion Online Activity
Nature of Charges: Blasphemy
Seyyed Sadrullah Fazeli Zare was imprisoned and executed on blasphemy-related charges.
In May 2020, authorities arrested Zare after accusing him and others of being a member of a Telegram channel entitled "Critique of Superstition and Religion." Members of the group allegedly expressed opinions insulting to religion, including the Prophet Muhammad. One member was said to have set religious books on fire. Zare was transferred to Arak Prison. He was reportedly held in solitary confinement for two months after his arrest and was denied family visits and phone calls eight months after his arrest.
In April 2021, it was reported that Branch 1 of the Arak Criminal Court had sentenced Yusef Mehrdad and another unnamed individual - later revealed as Seyyed Sadrullah Fazeli Zare - to death for "insulting Islamic sanctities" (Art. 513 IPC) and "insulting the Prophet" (Art. 262 IPC).
In May 2023, Zare was reportedly moved into solitary confinement in preparation for his imminent execution. However, following international outcry, he was moved back into the general prison population.
On May 8, 2023, Zare was executed.
Zare was reportedly the caretaker of his elderly mother.
Related Cases: Yusef Mehrdad
USCIRF Commissioners Nury Turkel and Abraham Cooper, Tweet, May 8, 2023
USCIRF Press Release: USCIRF Alarmed by Worldwide Blasphemy Enforcement May 8, 2023
"Two Prisoners of Conscience Executed in Arak Prison" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
USCIRF Commissioners Sharon Kleinbaum and Eric Ueland, Tweet, May 4, 2023
دادبان, Tweet, May 4, 2023
"همزمان با تایید حکم اعدام در دیوان عالی کشور؛ یوسف مهراد به ۸ سال حبس محکوم شد" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"پرونده متهمان سب النبی و توهین به مقدسات در اراک؛ ۱۱ متهم، ۲ محکوم به اعدام و شناسایی ۶ تن" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"گزارش تکمیلی؛ احراز هویت دومین زندانی محکوم به اعدام با اتهام «سب النبی» در زندان اراک" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)
"Yousef Mehrdad" United for Iran
"Two Iranians given death sentences for 'insulting Prophet Muhammad'" The New Arab
"Two Iranians Handed Death Sentences For 'Insulting Prophet'" Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
"Two Iranians sentenced to death for 'Insulting Prophet'" Iran Human Rights Monitor
"زندان اراک؛ دو زندانی با اتهام «سب النبی» به اعدام محکوم شدند" Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)