Both men would go through Judge Moghiseh’s court, but at different points in time. The arresting agents charged Sevada with promoting Christianity on Facebook and contacting Persian-speaking Christians. This was not enough for Judge Moghiseh, who translated these charges into more serious convictions. In 2015, Sevada was sentenced to five years in prison for “violating national security through collusion and participation in the underground church movement.”
As if this wasn’t enough, Judge Moghiseh sent Sevada to Evin Prison. By sending Sevada to such a notorious prison, Judge Moghiseh was sending a clear message to the Armenian Church: practice your faith, but stay within the strict boundaries defined by the regime. Sevada began serving his sentence in 2017, and is scheduled for release in 2021.
Meanwhile, Judge Moghiseh sent another strong message to Iranian converts through Ibrahim Firouzi. Initially, Ibrahim was tried and sentenced by another court to one year in prison and two years of exile for “launching and administering a Christian missionary website, distributing Bibles, cooperating with student activists, and involvement in actions against national security.”
His prison sentence was originally scheduled to be completed in January 2015, but he was never released.
Instead, Judge Moghiseh stepped in and again convicted him of the same charges. The original sentence was not harsh enough, and Judge Moghiseh sought to remedy the situation. This time, Ibrahim was sentenced to five years in prison and two years in exile. While in prison, his health has suffered significantly and his mother was unable to visit him. She later passed away without ever having the opportunity to tell her son goodbye.
Judge Moghiseh did not have to deal so harshly with Sevada and Ibrahim. He chose to ignore human rights and instead send a message to the Church by subjecting these believers to some of the harshest treatment the Iranian government has to offer.
“It is the policy of the Islamic government not to put thousands of Christians in jail [even though they easily can]. Their policy is to arrest a few and put maximum sentence on minor offenses [like just gathering in a home]. They then publicize it in order to put fear in the hearts of Christians. Their strategy is causing fear and isolation,” explained Dr. Hormoz Shariat, president and founder of Iran Alive Ministries to International Christian Concern.
We must keep not only Sevada and Ibrahim in our prayers, but also the rest of Iran’s Christians, that their sufferings may ease and that the judges who so severely target them may come to know God’s grace as well.
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]