Three Christians sentenced to 18 years – Three Christians, Pastors Behnam Irani and Matthias Haghnejad, and Deacon Silas Rabbani, have been each given a six-year sentences by a court in Iran.
Pastor Behnam Irani has received an additional sentence of six years imprisonment. He was initially arrested in 2006 and sentenced to six years in 2011.
According to the ruling, the three must serve their sentences in remote prisons far away from their families.
Pastor Irani must serve his sentence in a prison in the northern city of Zabol, Pastor Haghnejad and Deacon Rabbani will be sent to a remote prison in Minab.
The Iranian regime sends prisoners to exile in remote prions far away from their family members to torture their family members and put financial pressure on them.
Violations of human rights is continuing under Hassan Rouhani in Iran.
The October 2014 report by Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights stated that “At least 49 Protestant Christians are currently detained, many for involvement in informal house churches.”
“During the past two to three years, the authorities have increasingly closed officially licensed churches and arrested their pastors,” the report said.
According to the report, Christians are subject of “physical and intense psychological abuse, including threats of execution, while in detention.”
Also the authorities regularly block Christian community websites.