Iran: Three Christians are sentenced to 80 lashes
Daily Mail, 17 Nov. 2016- Three Christians in Iran have been sentenced to 80 lashes by a Sharia court after they were found guilty of blasphemy for drinking holy communion wine.
Yaser Mosibzadeh, Saheb Fadayee and Mohammed Reza Omidi, also known as Youhan, are due to be flogged in public after they were arrested at a house church gathering in Rasht in May.
The trio spent weeks in prison before they were finally released on bail, but they will now have to face the cruel and degrading punishment after they were guilty by Islamist judges.
Security agents also raided the home of their pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and his wife Fatemeh Pasandideh and arrested them at the same time, but the couple were not jailed.
The men are appealing against the verdict, but they also face more serious charges of ‘action against national security’, along with Pastor Nadarkhani.
There are believed to be about 300,000 Christians in Iran, with indigenous Christian Armenian and Assyrian communities making up about one per cent of the population.
The rest of Iran's population is made up of about 90 per cent Shia Muslims, while nine per cent are Sunni Muslim.
Yaser Mosibzadeh, Saheb Fadayee and Mohammed Reza Omidi, also known as Youhan, are due to be flogged in public after they were arrested at a house church gathering in Rasht in May.
The trio spent weeks in prison before they were finally released on bail, but they will now have to face the cruel and degrading punishment after they were guilty by Islamist judges.
Security agents also raided the home of their pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and his wife Fatemeh Pasandideh and arrested them at the same time, but the couple were not jailed.
The men are appealing against the verdict, but they also face more serious charges of ‘action against national security’, along with Pastor Nadarkhani.
There are believed to be about 300,000 Christians in Iran, with indigenous Christian Armenian and Assyrian communities making up about one per cent of the population.
The rest of Iran's population is made up of about 90 per cent Shia Muslims, while nine per cent are Sunni Muslim.
Iran stepped up its crackdown on Christian activists in 2015, and at least 108 Christians have been rounded up by police in the last year alone, with as many as ninety prisoners currently languishing in jail for their faith.
Many Christian prisoners have been beaten and abused, and some have been threatened with death, according to Christian charity Release International.
According to Middle East Concern, Mohammed Reza was one of four Christians who were given 80 lashes for the same charge in 2012.
Paul Robinson, chief executive of Release International, said: 'Why should Christians be lashed for taking communion?
‘And why is Iran refusing to allow its own citizens that most basic of all freedoms, the freedom to choose their own faith?
'These men have chosen to call themselves Christians. The state should respect that.’
Many Christian prisoners have been beaten and abused, and some have been threatened with death, according to Christian charity Release International.
According to Middle East Concern, Mohammed Reza was one of four Christians who were given 80 lashes for the same charge in 2012.
Paul Robinson, chief executive of Release International, said: 'Why should Christians be lashed for taking communion?
‘And why is Iran refusing to allow its own citizens that most basic of all freedoms, the freedom to choose their own faith?
'These men have chosen to call themselves Christians. The state should respect that.’
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