eventually received a long prison term, several sources said Wednesday, September 13.
Open Doors, a rights group investigating the plight of reportedly persecuted Christians, said it has learned that Pourmand was released in July, fourteen months before his prison term was to expire. "The only condition is that the former Muslim no longer visits church meetings," the group said.
"We are very pleased with this decision, which came as a total surprise," said Open Doors Spokesman Jeno Sebok, speaking from Open Doors headquarters in the town of Errmelo, the Netherlands, in a statement to BosNewsLife.
"This is not only a tremendous encouragement for himself and his wife and two children, but also for all those Christians who sent him cards and letters," he stressed. Pourmand became a ‘born-again’ Christian 25 years ago while he was serving as an officer in the Iranian army.
NO SECRET
He never made a secret of his faith in Christ, and was eventually detained in November 2004 along with 80 other church leaders, BosNewsLife learned. Pourmand was the only pastor who was sentenced for allegedly being silent about his Christian faith. In Iran it is forbidden for Christians to occupy positions of leadership, several sources said.
He was also tried in front of a Shariah (Muslim) court where he was threatened with execution for abandoning Islam. After international pressure, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty distributing a story by Christian news agency BosNewsLife, the court declared him innocent of the charges.
Open Doors cautioned however that the release of Pourmand does not mean that Iranian Christians have nothing to fear. "Also other former Muslims who convert to Christianity are persecuted," said Open Doors, which has close contacts with Christians in the region.
FALSELY CHARGED
As an example it mentioned Christian Issa Motamedi who it claimed was "falsely charged with trading in drugs." His eight-year-old-daughter was allegedly accused of evangelizing among Muslim children.
Open Doors said it has also learned that former Muslims have lost their jobs under government pressure because of their faith in Christ. "Christians are often forced to leave the country," an Iranian Christian said on condition of anonymity in published remarks. "Only those discrediting other churches are not persecuted," the source reportedly said.
Earlier this month Middle East Concern, another advocacy group, wrote that two arrested Iranian house church leaders have been released on bail after 20 days of imprisonment. Another Christian was reportedly beaten up, while a Christian married couple managed to flee Iran just before the police arrived to detain them, human rights watchers said.
WOMEN MISTREATED
In southern Iran police allegedly mistreated two young Christian women in their home. One of them was taken to prison for several days. Since her release police have made threatening phone calls saying she could be arrested again while family members were also, Open Doors said.
Iran’s government has not reacted to the latest developments. But church representatives and other officials have suggested there will be more pressure on the Christian minority in this mainly Islamic nation. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is seen as a hard-line politician.
