Christian pastor and wife flee Iran—only hours before reporting to Evin Prison

Six years ago, during a Christmas celebration, the nightmare began. Ten plain-clothes officers entered Victor’s home and confiscated many personal items, including Bibles, mobile phones and identification documents.

The officers told them they were participating in an “unlawful and unauthorized gathering” and forced them to fill out forms. They filmed them as they explained why they had gathered.

After several hours of filming and interrogation, the agents arrested Victor, Amin Afshar-Naderi and Kavian Fallah-Mohammadi and transferred them to Evin Prison where they were held in solitary confinement for 65 days.

Three years later, the converts were eventually sentenced alongside their pastor and a third convert, Hadi Asgari, in July 2017— found guilty for their participation in “house churches.”

Victor, Kavian and Hadi were sentenced to 10 years in prison each and Amin to 15 years for their participation in “house-churches.” The Revolutionary Court found all four men guilty of “action against national security by organizing and conducting house churches.”

Before Victor’s arrest, Shamiram had been charged with “participating in foreign seminars” and “acting against Iranian national security” as a church member. Their son, Ramiel, was charged with “acting against national security” and “organizing and creating house churches,” as well as charges relating to his father’s ministry.

Shamiram was sentenced to five years in prison in January 2018, six months after her husband and the three converts received their sentence.

The case against the five Christians has dragged on for so long now, and been the subject of intense international scrutiny including pleas for clemency by Vice President Mike Pence, among others.

Open Doors has learned that the three converts, Kavian, Hadi and Amin, have also been notified by their lawyers that their appeals have been rejected. They now face combined sentences of 35 years.