Iran’s Supreme Court denies retrial for Christian convert, upholding 10-year sentence for attending house church gatherings

Image: Jihad Watch

Iran’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal for a retrial submitted on behalf of Mehran Shamloui, a Christian convert currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the alleged crime of participating in worship gatherings at a private house-church. The ruling effectively seals his fate for now, leaving him to continue serving his lengthy sentence under harsh prison conditions.

Shamloui, 37, has already spent over two months behind bars. He was detained on July 3 upon his return to Iran, after being deported from Turkey where he had sought temporary refuge. His troubles began earlier this year, when in March he was sentenced to a decade in prison for practicing his Christian faith outside of state-sanctioned churches.

After his arrival at Mashhad Airport, Shamloui was immediately transferred to the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, a facility notorious for housing male prisoners relocated after the devastating missile strike on Evin Prison. By August, however, he and several other Christian detainees – including Joseph Shahbazian, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, and Hakop Gochumyan – were moved back to Evin following its partial reopening.

Meanwhile, the fate of another Christian prisoner, Amir-Ali Minaei, remains uncertain, with no official confirmation of his whereabouts. Female prisoners, including fellow converts Mina Khajavi and Aida Najaflou, continue to endure incarceration at Qarchak Prison, widely criticized for its dire conditions. Reports describe Qarchak as overcrowded, unsanitary, and severely lacking in basic necessities such as clean water, adequate food, and proper medical care.

In a voice recording released by Iran International, Aida Najaflou recounted the degrading treatment she and other female inmates faced during their transfer to Qarchak. She spoke of being handcuffed, transported “in such a disgraceful manner,” and condemned to an existence where they were left “suffering without clean water, cooling, or heating, lacking hygiene and proper food, entangled and helpless.” Her testimony highlights the inhumane circumstances endured by Christian converts and other prisoners of conscience in Iran’s penal system.

Background on Mehran’s Case

Shamloui’s conviction dates back to his joint sentencing with two other Christian converts, Abbas Soori and Narges Nasri. At the time of her conviction, Nasri was in the midst of her pregnancy, adding a particularly tragic dimension to the case. All three fled Iran in an attempt to escape persecution. While Soori and Nasri sought refugee protection, Shamloui chose not to apply for asylum in Turkey. He had witnessed the prolonged and often fruitless struggles of many Iranian Christians stuck in the asylum process for years, only to face eventual rejection.

Instead, he attempted a risky journey across the border into Europe, hoping for safety and freedom. However, his plan was thwarted when he was intercepted, detained, and eventually deported back to Iran, sealing his return to imprisonment and persecution.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)