Pastor Behnam Irani Starts A Five Year Sentence

Behnam Irani is currently in prison serving a five year sentence for propaganda against the regime.

On April 14, 2010 MOIS officers came into a house church service, assaulted him and took him into custody. A service was taking place at the time and the security officials interrogated those attending as well as confiscating Bibles, Christian literature and DVD’s. Brother Behnam was in prison for two months then he was released on bail in June 2010. In January 2011 he was tried for and convicted of crimes against national security. On May 31, 2011 a warrant was issued for his arrest so he turned himself into the prison and began serving a one year sentence.

Another area of concern is that in the written verdict from 2008 the appeals court recommended the prosecutor pursue an apostasy death sentence against him stating, “Considering the explicit confessions of the abovementioned individual [Irani] during the trial, that his father and mother were Muslims and he, himself, also opted for Islam when he reached maturity, and then left the holy religion of Islam and became a Christian. And that he also deceived a group of people into leaving Islam. Therefore as mentioned in … [Islamic religious text] … the abovementioned individual is definitely an innate apostate, and the sentence for innate apostasy is death.”

On October 18, 2011 brother Behnam was informed by letter that he was now required to serve his five year prison sentence from 2008.