“Laleh’s case clearly shows that the Christian activities of asylum-seekers in foreign countries can be used against them in court proceedings back in Iran. I hope immigration authorities around the world will take note of this, and think twice before rejecting out of hand the asylum claims of genuine Christians who may face persecution upon return to their country of origin.”
They likely won’t, as to do so would be “Islamophobic.”
“Christian convert baptised in Malaysia given prison sentence on return to Iran,” Article 18, March 26, 2024:
A Christian convert who was baptised in a church in Malaysia has been sentenced to two years in prison in Iran for “acting against national security by connecting with ‘Zionist’ Christian organisations”.
Laleh Saati, who is 45 years old, returned to Iran in 2017, having grown frustrated at the time it was taking to process her asylum claim in Malaysia, and also to be reunited with her elderly parents.
According to Persian-language news site Human Rights in Iran, she was summoned and interrogated by intelligence agents on numerous occasions after returning.
Then, on 13 February 2024, she was arrested at her father’s home in Ekbatan Town, a suburb of Tehran, and taken to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Intelligence.
Laleh was reportedly interrogated for around three weeks in Ward 209 – during which time photographs and videos of her Christian activities and baptism in Malaysia were brought before her as evidence of her “crime” – before being transferred to the women’s ward of the prison.
On 16 March, she was brought before an increasingly notorious judge, Iman Afshari, at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, who reportedly asked her why she had risked returning to Iran and a court case being opened against her, “given that you have done such things [Christian activities] outside of Iran”.
Laleh’s two-year sentence, which also includes a two-year travel ban following release, was communicated to her lawyer yesterday. Her family were then informed and able to pass on the information to Laleh in prison.
It is not yet known whether any bail amount has been set for Laleh, nor whether she intends to appeal against the sentence.
Article18’s Mansour Borji said “immigration authorities around the world should take note” of the ruling and added that he was “surprised” at the speed with which her case had progressed through the courts.
“Laleh’s case clearly shows that the Christian activities of asylum-seekers in foreign countries can be used against them in court proceedings back in Iran,” he said. “I hope immigration authorities around the world will take note of this, and think twice before rejecting out of hand the asylum claims of genuine Christians who may face persecution upon return to their country of origin.”
Most Western countries accept that Christians are persecuted in Iran, with the UK for example acknowledging in its country guidance that even ordinary Christians are at risk of persecution, and not just leaders.
The European Court of Justice, meanwhile, recently ruled that even asylum-seekers who converted to Christianity outside their country of origin may meet the requirements for refugee protection if they hail from countries where Christians are persecuted.
However, many asylum claims centring on a professed religious conversion have been rejected – in most cases because the judge did not believe the conversion to have been genuine.
SC says
The only problem with Nuking Iran back to tbe stone age is that they probably wouldn’t even notice.
Ray Jarman says
SC,
The real problem of bombing Iran is that there are a millions of Christians and other non-Shias in which the inhuman fecal matter rules. Remember that many ladies and some men actually were murdered at the direction of the mullahs simply because they refused to be invisible in public view. The problem could be eradicated if only the US and its allies would work with the Israeli military since they have the knowledge and experience to strike at the precise points that would bring in a legitimate government.
Walter Sieruk says
The real reason why the ayatollahs and mullahs who have so much power in that tyrannical Islamic regime of Iran and so they put this Christian woman prison because of they’re afraid that if the Iranian people would even hear the Bible read or start to compare and contrast the Bible with Quran the people of Iran might start to view the Bible and the superior of those two different books.
Since, that Islamic tyranny is is based on Islam and it’s Sharia which have their total foundation on the Quran is could be a threat to those in power in Iran if the people did discover that the Bible is ,indeed,better and superior to that “holy book” of Islam.
Therefore those Muslim clerics along with other Muslim tyrants do have “security concerns” when it come to Christians making known the Bible to the people of Iran.
As a result ,of this to maintain power , those ayatollahs and mullahs of Iran to everything they can , as cruel as they are , to keep the people of Iran in the bondage of the ignorant and darkness of Islam and away from the Light of Bible based Christianity.
It therefore will on the future Day of Judgement ,u God, Romans 14:12. , a time of desolation and sorrow for those Muslim clerics who do everything they can to keep the people of Iran in the darkness of Islam and away from the light of the Bible and Christianity.
As the Bible does inform its reader in Isaiah 5:20′ ” Woe to those who put evil for good ,and good for evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” [N.K.J.V.]
sri krishna says
She is good looking women and she doesn’t deserver jail but Iranian government is not sparing her