Christian convert Hannah Gholami (36) has been “pardoned” and released from serving the remainder of her two-year sentence, after serving around half of it including two months in detention following her arrest.

Hannah was arrested in December 2023 and sentenced in July 2024 on “national security” charges related to her involvement in a house church. She began serving her sentence in November 2025.

Hannah spent four months out of prison on medical leave earlier this year, returning to prison on 29 June, and in August she was told that she could serve the remainder of her sentence outside prison by reporting to work daily at a government-run factory. She was informed on 2 October that she had been “pardoned” as part of a general amnesty of prisoners.

Background

Hannah was arrested on 11 December 2023 along with Christian convert Daniel Mohammadi (pictured) following a raid by thirty intelligence agents on a house-church gathering in Shahriar where around 25 men, women and children had gathered to pray, worship and plan their Christmas celebration. Hannah and Daniel were driven to their homes, which were searched, before being taken to Evin Prison.

Two other converts were arrested the same day following raids on their homes and workplaces in Karaj (Afghan refugee Kourosh Hosseini, pictured, and a Christian who has not been publicly identified) and the Ministry of Intelligence later combined the two sets of arrests into one case.

The four Christians were released on bail after two months and were tried on 2 July 2024 at the Revolutionary Court of Shahriar County. They were sentenced under Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code, which relates to organisation of “anti-state” groups.

Hannah, Daniel and Kourosh were given two-year prison sentences on charges of “forming and membership of a group or association with the aim of disrupting national security”, while the fourth convert was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “aiding and abetting” others in their alleged crimes.

Their appeals and application for a retrial by the Supreme Court were rejected and they began serving their sentences on 16 November 2025.

(Article 18)

Photos of Hannah and Daniel : Article 18

Photo of Kourosh: Mohabat News