Imprisoned Christian Convert Starts Hunger Strike

Iran Human Rights (July 13 2016): Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert prisoner of conscience who is being detained in Karaj's Rajai Shahr Prison (west of Tehran), was reportedly beaten by prison authorities on Tuesday July 12 after he refused to attend his appeals court hearing. According to close sources, Mr. Firouzi launched a hunger strike on the same day to protest the unlawful treatment he endured.

Sources close to Mr. Firouzi tell Iran Human Rights: He had told authorities several weeks ago that he will not attend the hearing because the appeals court refused to accept new evidence into his case.

Iranian authorities reportedly managed to force Mr. Firouzi to the court on Tuesday, but the hearing never took place after it was cancelled due to the absense of a judge. One of the judges who was at the court reportedly told Mr. Firouzi there was no need for him to be at the hearing in the first place, since his lawyer was present. According to close sources, upon returning to prison, Mr. Firouzi gave an interview to a Christian website, which angered Iranian authorities and resulted in one of the prison security officials to threaten to open a new case file against him.

Ebrahim Firouzi was arrested on August 25, 2013 to serve a sentence of one year imprisonment and two years exile to Sarbaz County (Sistan & Baluchestan province, southern Iran). The sentence was issued by a revolutionary court in Robat Karim County (Tehran province, central Iran). Once his one-year imprisonment sentence ended, Iranian authorities continued to hold him in prison by opening a new case file against him. In May 2015, Mr. Firouzi was sentenced to five years in prison by branch 28 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. He is currently being detained in Hall 31, Ward 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison.