Ebrahim Firouzi

Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert and civil activist, spent over seven years in prison and exile due to his Christian faith and peaceful religious activities. This Christian convert passed away at his home in Robat Karim on Tuesday, 20 February 2024, after enduring years of pressure from the Islamic Republic government. Ebrahim’s family stated the cause of death was a “heart attack.” He was only 38 years old at the time of his death.

This Christian convert was first arrested on 18 January 2011, in Robat Karim and was charged with “propaganda against the state” and “insulting sanctities” for converting to Christianity and engaging in missionary activities. After his case was sent to court, he was acquitted of the charge of insulting sanctities but was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to 5 months of imprisonment and a 5-month suspended sentence for “propaganda against the state.” After this sentence was upheld by the appeal court, Ebrahim was released from Rajai Shahr Prison on 8 June 2011.

This Christian citizen was arrested for the second time in March 2013 at his workplace. “Distributing Christian Bibles, and launching a Christian website” were among the instances cited as “acting against national security” in the charges against Ebrahim Firouzi. He was released after 53 days of imprisonment upon posting a bail of 30 million tomans.

Ebrahim was arrested for the third time in 2013 and in July of the same year, he was sentenced by the Robat Karim Revolutionary Court to one year in prison and two years of exile to the city of Sarbaz in Sistan and Baluchestan province on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic” through “establishing and leading a deviant Christian missionary group and launching a Christian website.” Ebrahim’s re-arrest occurred as he was preparing to report to Evin Prison to serve his one-year sentence.

In April 2015, Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, head of Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, issued a new verdict, sentencing Ebrahim Firouzi and an Armenian-Orthodox citizen named Sevada Aghasar to a total of 10 years in prison. The 5-year prison sentence for Ebrahim was delivered to him while he was serving his previous sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj.

Ebrahim served his five-year sentence without furlough and was repeatedly denied medical services. He was not even allowed to attend his mother’s funeral and burial ceremony. Ebrahim wrote numerous letters from prison, supporting civil activities and religious freedom.

In November 2019, after completing his five-year sentence, Ebrahim Firouzi was released from prison and, in the same month, was sent to Rask, Sarbaz, in Sistan and Baluchestan province to begin his two-year exile. In an exclusive interview with Article 18, he spoke about his years in prison and exile.

On 2 February 2021, this Christian citizen released a video message on YouTube, pointing to new case-building against him by the Ministry of Intelligence, and stated that the ministry had accused him of “insulting sanctities” and “propaganda against the state” without any evidence. He said that his “family members had been subjected to ideological vetting” and that some of his property, including his mobile phone, laptop, Bible, and even books published with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, had been confiscated by security agents, which prevented him from continuing his online education. Following the release of the video message, on 8 February 2021, the prosecutor’s office of Sarbaz summoned him for questioning regarding “propaganda in favour of groups opposing the Islamic Republic.” He was arrested after appearing at the prosecutor’s office and transferred to prison. Ebrahim Firouzi went on a hunger strike in Chabahar prison. Many Iranian and non-Iranian Christians supported him by releasing video messages. On Monday, 17 February 2021, Ebrahim Firouzi ended his hunger strike after authorities promised him an “imminent release” and a “serious” review of his case. On 28 September 2021, in a ten-minute court session, he was acquitted of the charges and his new case was closed. Nevertheless, he was released from Zahedan prison on a 50 million toman bail.

Ebrahim passed away on Tuesday, 20 February 2024, in Robat Karim. This Christian convert was buried two days later next to his mother’s grave. According to sources present at the funeral, Mr. Firouzi’s family stated the cause of death was a “heart attack.” At the same time, some of those close to Ebrahim Firouzi have deemed his death at the age of thirty-eight as “suspicious.”

At the time of his death, Ebrahim was 38 years old and had spent over seven years of his life in prison and internal exile due to his Christian faith and peaceful religious activities.

Ebrahim Firouzi continued his resistance even in prison and was a voice for the voiceless. This Christian citizen repeatedly criticised the authorities and officials by writing letters in support of other prisoners. In one of his letters protesting the condition of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, a labour activist in prison, Mr. Firouzi criticised the structural injustice of the government. He wrote, “My question is, can the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, which has for years rendered fairness and justice meaningless among government officials by trampling on human rights, teach those responsible for decision-making in prisons to observe justice?”

Ebrahim Firouzi had also repeatedly defended civil movements in Iran and freedom of expression, from supporting truckers’ strikes to protesting internet blackouts.

One of the main reasons for Mr. Firouzi’s numerous arrests was the distribution of the Bible through various means, from printed copies to digital versions. The Islamic Republic government has, over the years, confiscated Bibles by raiding the homes of Christians and house churches, using them as evidence of a crime in courts.

This Christian citizen was sent to prison and exile on charges such as “insulting sanctities” and “propaganda against the state through the promotion of Christianity,” without any document or evidence.

During his exile, despite harassment from the Ministry of Intelligence, Ebrahim Firouzi came to the aid of the citizens of Rask. He collected public donations to buy shoes, backpacks, and stationery for students who went to school barefoot and without adequate supplies. This former prisoner of conscience even built toilet facilities for rural schools around Rask with the collected financial aid.

In his writings, Ebrahim Firouzi repeatedly emphasised his perseverance in his Christian faith, despite the intense pressure on himself and his family, and wrote that “nothing, neither threats from the Ministry of Intelligence nor money… could separate him from the love of Christ.”

Despite being a Christian, Mr. Firouzi was buried in a Muslim cemetery. Christian converts, although constituting the majority of Iran’s Christian population, are not recognised by the government and are deprived of the most basic civil rights.