Fourteen months ago, an Iranian army colonel, Hamid Pourmand, was jailed for converting to Christianity. He was acquitted of charges of apostasy, which could have resulted in a death sentence. He was sentenced, however, to three years in prison for allegedly deceiving the military about his Christian faith. According to a November 8 report from Compass Direct, Pourmand has developed a good rapport with the guards and prisoners at the Evin Prison and has been allowed a three-day leave for a home visit each month. Despite this good rapport, Pourmand has been subject to psychological torture, including several threats that he would be imminently hanged, as well as being forced to listen to the screams of children.
Pourmand's lawyer has decided to drop any appeal of his sentence, since an appeal could possibly be perpetually delayed, giving authorities an excuse to keep Pourmand in prison. Additionally, as Human Rights Watch stated in a June 2004 report on the Iranian judiciary, "Many political prisoners ... are told that if they appeal, they will be sent back to prison or additional charges will be brought against them."
To read the full report on Colonel Pourmand, as well as more details on persecution facing Christians in Iran, click here.
(Source: Compass Direct)
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