TEHRAN, Iran — Two Christian prisoners in Iran recently went on hunger strikes to protest increasingly harsh treatment of those arrested for house-church activities.
Since June 2016 courts in Iran have given 11 Christians prison sentences of at least 10 years, mostly on charges related to house-church activities for converts from Islam, according to advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC). The hunger strikes are meant to draw attention to the severity of the sentences, as well as the poor treatment these prisoners often receive once they are in custody, according to human rights advocates.
The abuse includes being held without charges, detained for long periods without trial and prolonged isolation and interrogation. Amin Afshar Naderi lost 22 pounds and suffered low blood pressure after a 21-day hunger strike in Evin Prison that ended when he was released on $80,000 bail July 25. Inspired by Naderi, prisoner Ebrahim Firoozi declared a 10-day hunger strike on July 17.
Among those sentenced to 10-year sentences in the past year are Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, Hadi Asgari, Yousef Nadarkhani, Mohammad Reza Omidi, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Saheb Fadaie, Naser Navard Goltapeh, Bahram Nasibov, Yusif Farhadov and Eldar Gurbanov, according to MEC. (MS)
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