Mehdi Akbari was arrested with three fellow Christian converts during coordinated raids on their homes in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in January 2019. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for “acting against national security by forming an illegal evangelical Christian group”. Mehdi was granted early release in September 2024.
LATEST NEWS (SEPTEMBER 2024): Mehdi was released on 29 September 2024 after spending four years and nine months in Evin Prison. His ten-year sentence was reduced to four years and five months by Branch 21 of the Tehran appeal court. Mehdi had applied for a retrial with the Supreme Court on five occasions and his fifth application, lodged in April 2024, was accepted, with Branch 39 of the Supreme Court ruling that the length of his sentence should be reviewed.
Mehdi Akbari (also known as Yasser) was arrested alongside fellow Christian converts Fatemeh Sharifi, Simin Soheilinia and Mehdi Rokhparvar during coordinated raids on their homes by intelligence agents on 28 January 2019 in the Ariashahr area of Tehran.
They were all taken to Evin Prison, where they were placed in solitary confinement and interrogated for thirty days before eventually being released on 18 March 2019 on bail of eight hundred million tomans each (approximately €56,700 at the time) pending the outcome of their trial.
The four Christians were tried on 16 June 2020 at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on charges of “acting against national security” by “forming an illegal evangelical Christian group”. They were also reportedly accused of “widespread association with missionary groups, as well as evangelical Christian groups outside the country – in Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Armenia”.
Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, nicknamed the “Judge of Death” for his harsh treatment of prisoners of conscience, reportedly spoke obscenely to the Christians and would not listen to their defence, only citing the report of the intelligence agent. He then increased their bail to seven billion tomans (around €200,000) and reportedly told them, “Your actions are worthy of death! Who set this low bail amount for you, so you could be free to roam about on the streets?”.
In October 2020 Judge Moghiseh sentenced Mehdi, Fatemeh and Simin to ten years each in prison and Mehdi Rokhparvar to five years in prison. The two women were later freed on bail but the men were transferred to Evin Prison, where they were informed of their sentences on 17 October 2020.
Mehdi later wrote that he could not understand how membership of a house church could be viewed as an “action against national security”. He said, “I don’t know what to say if someone asked me how I acted against national security. I only know that I am, and will remain, a Christian, and that I will preach about the light of God and kingdom of heaven to everyone.”
Mehdi appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court but both confirmed the verdict against him.
On 28 December 2021 Mehdi, who was a single parent, was informed that his 18-year-old son Amir-Ali, who had cerebral palsy, had died in the care facility where he had been living since his father’s imprisonment in June 2020. His death was reportedly due to complications after surgery. The bureaucracy involved in obtaining leave from prison, including a heavy bail demand, meant that Mehdi was not able to secure a five-day leave – later extended to ten days – until 1 January 2022, by which time the funeral of his only child had already taken place.
Mehdi had been allowed to visit his son two months before he died and later wrote, “When Amir-Ali saw me in handcuffs and prison clothes, he was reassured that I had not abandoned him… I had to go back to my cell, but I consider the best moment of my life to be the last time I hugged my Amir-Ali.”
Mehdi’s co-accused Mehdi Rokhparvar was one of several Christians pardoned and released in February 2023 as part of a mass amnesty of political prisoners to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Mehdi was released on 29 September 2024 after Branch 21 of the Tehran appeal court reduced his sentence to four years and five months. Mehdi had applied for a retrial with the Supreme Court on five occasions and his fifth application, lodged in April 2024, was accepted, with Branch 39 of the Supreme Court ruling that the length of his sentence should be reviewed.
Family
Mehdi was a single parent to his only child Amir-Ali, who had cerebral palsy and died aged 18 in a care facility in 2021.
TIMELINE
28 January 2019 Mehdi Akbari was arrested alongside fellow Christian converts Fatemeh Sharifi, Simin Soheilinia and Mehdi Rokhparvar during coordinated raids on their homes in Tehran.
18 March 2019 The four Christians were released from Evin Prison on bail.
16 June 2020 They were tried at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on charges of “acting against national security” by “forming an illegal evangelical Christian group”.
October 2020 Mehdi, Fatemeh and Simin were sentenced to ten years each in prison and Mehdi Rokhparvar to five years. The two women were freed on bail but the men were transferred to Evin Prison, where they were informed of their sentences on 17 October 2020. All four appealed.
28 December 2021 Mehdi was informed that his 18-year-old son Amir-Ali had died, reportedly due to complications after surgery. The bureaucracy involved in securing leave from prison, including a heavy bail demand, delayed Mehdi’s temporary release.
1 January 2022 Mehdi secured a five-day leave – later extended to ten days – but his son’s funeral had already taken place.
July 2023 Mehdi wrote about his grief in a letter smuggled out of prison.
April 2024 Mehdi lodged a fifth application for a retrial with the Supreme Court. Four previous applications had been rejected.
29 September 2024 Mehdi was released after Branch 21 of the Tehran appeal court reduced his sentence to four years and five months – he had spent four years and nine months in prison. Mehdi’s fifth application for a retrial with the Supreme Court had been accepted and Branch 39 of the Supreme Court ruled that the length of his sentence should be reviewed.
Read more about the persecution of Christians in Iran.
(Article 18, Human Rights in Iran)
Photo: Article 18