by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A 60 year-old Christian woman in Iran has been summoned to begin a six-year prison sentence for promoting “Zionist Christianity” through leading a house-church, Article 18, a London-based group that monitors persecution in Iran, reports.
A Christian convert from Islam, Mina Khajavi was arrested and charged in 2020 under Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code: Article 498 relates to groups that the Iranian regime considers a “threat to national security,” Article 18 reports. Khajavi was arrested solely because of her activity in sharing her faith through the house-church.
When people from Muslim backgrounds become Christians, they can only meet in secret house churches,” the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains in a website statement. “They are at great risk of being monitored, harassed, arrested and prosecuted for 'crimes against national security' – an accusation that is notoriously poorly defined, and can be abused.”
Mina was eventually sentenced in 2022 together with fellow Christian convert Malihe Nazari, who also received a six-year sentence, and Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian, who was sentenced to 10 years on the same charges, Article 18 reports. While Joseph and Malihe began serving their sentences soon after, Mina was considered unfit for prison at the time as she was seriously hurt in a car accident. However, on Wednesday, 3 January, she was told she must submit herself to the notoriously harsh Evin Prison within five days.
In a statement, Article18’s advocacy director, Mansour Borji, said: “Article18 is shocked by the unjust sentence that was initially handed down to Mrs Khajavi for exercising her right to freedom of religion or belief…We also urge Iran to end the harassment of the Christian community and to respect the November 2021 Supreme Court ruling that ‘the promotion of Christianity and formation of a house-church is not criminalised in law’ and should not be deemed a threat to national security.”
Iran is ruled by a violent, paranoid Islamic regime, and ranks 8th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.