Name: Sara Ahmadi
Age: 42
Country/Area of Origin: Tehran, Iran
Background: Sara and her husband were members of a house church.
Reason for Arrest:
In June 2019, Sara Ahmadi and her husband Homayoun, 62, were detained by authorities from Amol while they were vacationing with other Christian families near the Caspian Sea. Though the other detained individuals were released after brief interrogation, Sara and Homayoun were kept in custody and then transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran where Homayoun was held for one month and Sara for 67 days, 33 of which she spent in solitary confinement and was subjected to psychological torture.
In November 2020, Sara and Homayoun received their sentences from Judge Iman Afshari days after a hearing at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, Branch 26. Sara received a 11-year prison sentence for leadership of a house church, while Homayoun was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for his membership of the church. They were both additionally prohibited from domestic and international travel as well as membership in political groups.
On appeal in December 2020, Sara’s original verdict was reduced to 8 years’ imprisonment and Homayoun’s was upheld.
In March 2021, Sara and Homayoun were informed that their case had been passed to a government body that works to enforce sentences, meaning they may soon be summoned to begin serving their sentences. There is mounting concern that the couple may have to serve time in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic, neither of them having been administered the vaccine; moreover, Homayoun is suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease.
The couple’s lawyer stated the following:
“My clients have always insisted that they haven’t engaged in any actions against national security, nor do they harbor any animosity or hostility towards the government.”
Advocacy director of Article 18 Mansour Borji made the following statement regarding Homayoun’s and Sara’s case:
“To hand down a prison sentence to a man of Homayoun’s age, suffering with advanced Parkinson’s – and only because of his membership of a house-church – would be shocking were it not for Iran’s proven track record of systematically persecuting Persian-speaking Christians, regardless of their age, health, or any other reasonable considerations. We call on Iran to immediately reverse its decision, and to stop persecuting Christian converts like Homayoun and Sara for the peaceful practice of their faith”.