Iran: Three Azeri Christians released from prison

CSW welcomes news of the release of three Azeri Christians previously detained in Iran.

The three men, Yusif Farhadov (51), Eldar Gurbanov (48), and Bahram Nasibov (37) were arrested on 24 June 2016, while attending a wedding in Tehran.

They were taken to Evin Prison where they were kept in solitary confinement for four months and were denied access to lawyers and consular support from their embassy. They were eventually charged with “conducting activities against national security”.

The men were released on 29 October 2016 on bail and were allowed to return to Azerbaijan on 7 November 2016, after paying the full amount of bail.

Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Mervyn Thomas said, “It is unacceptable that visitors were arrested simply for attending a Christian wedding. This constant intimidation and harassment should not be occurring in a country with a constitution that not only recognises Christianity, but also states that no-one should be molested or taken to task simply for holding a religious belief. We urge the Iranian authorities to end the continuing infringement on the right to freedom of religion or belief. We also call on Iran to ensure that the nation’s practices, legal procedures and provisions do not contradict its constitutional and international commitments to ensure the full enjoyment of this right for every religious community.”