Persecution of Christians in Iran: the laws in Iran that grant some limited freedoms to the Christians are generally not considered applicable to converts from Islam to Christianity, who are all too often considered enemies of the state. The U.S. State Department has classified Iran as a “country of particular concern” for “having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, requests that the government of Iran grant full religious freedom to all of its citizens, not interfering with their freedom of worship in any way, and immediately free Mari Mohammadi.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of Iran, see here.
“Physical and mental harassment of Christian convert, Fatemeh Mohammadi, in prison,” Mohabat News, February 14, 2020:
Mohabat News’- Reports indicate that Fatemeh (Mari) Mohammadi, a Christian convert, was persecuted during her detention and subjected to psychological or physical harassment.
An informed source told Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) in Iran on February 13: “Mari Mohammadi was transferred to the Vozara detention center in Tehran after being detained. Prior to the interrogation, she was transferred to the yard of the Vozara detention center, where she was forced to sit in the frost on the asphalt floor and in front of the toilets. She was then interrogated by three agents. Officers also gave her a questionnaire with thirty questions but she said that she would not answer until her lawyer was present. Officers had not given her any food during the detention for 24 hours.
This source also said:“ she was severely beaten by male and female officers in Azadi Tower at the time of her detention”. She was again beaten by officers after her arrest and transferring to the Vozara Detention Center. Ms. Mohammadi was so severely beaten that the bruises on her body were visible for up to three weeks. In addition, she was subjected to an unusual physical inspection twice by officers at the Vozara Detention Center. During these inspections, the female officers forced Ms. Mohammadi to take her clothes off completely and to stand up and sit down several times facing and back to the female officers. Officers threatened her if she did not do so, forcibly take off her clothes and saying that if touched, it would be much worse for her.
Mari Mohammadi was arrested on Sunday, January 12, 2020, at the same time as the protests following the crash of the Ukrainian passenger plane by the Revolutionary Guards near the Azadi Tower….
