Mehdi Akbari, a Christian convert known as Yasser, has been released from Evin Prison in Iran after serving nearly five years of a ten-year sentence due to his involvement with a house church.
Mehdi was released on September 29 after the Tehran appeal court reduced his prison term to four years and five months. He had been incarcerated since his arrest in January 2019, according to Church in Chains, an independent Irish charity that advocates for persecuted Christians worldwide.
Mehdi was arrested during coordinated raids by intelligence agents that targeted his home and the homes of other Christian converts in Tehran. Alongside him, three others—Fatemeh Sharifi, Simin Soheilinia, and Mehdi Rokhparvar—were also detained.
Following their arrest, the group was taken to Evin Prison, where they endured thirty days of solitary confinement and interrogation. They were subsequently released on bail on March 18, 2019, each required to pay 800 million tomans, equivalent to approximately $16,000.
On June 16, 2020, the quartet was tried at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on charges of “acting against national security” by allegedly forming an illegal evangelical Christian group and associating with missionary organizations in several countries, including Russia, Georgia, Turkey, and Armenia.
Judge Mohammad Moghiseh, known for his severe treatment of prisoners, presided over their trial and increased their bail to 7 billion tomans, or about $140,000, while criticizing their actions.
In October 2020, Mehdi and the two women received ten-year prison sentences, while Mehdi Rokhparvar was sentenced to five years. While the women were subsequently released on bail, Mehdi and Rokhparvar were transferred to Evin Prison, where they were officially informed of their sentences on October 17, 2020.
During his time in prison, Mehdi faced harsh conditions, which reportedly included torture and extended periods of solitary confinement, The Mirror reported. He shared details about his ordeal through messages smuggled from within the prison, illustrating the physical and psychological challenges he encountered.
In December 2021, he learned of his 18-year-old son Amir Ali's death, who had cerebral palsy and was living in a care facility during Mehdi’s imprisonment. Due to bureaucratic delays and high bail demands, Mehdi was unable to attend his son’s funeral, although he received a ten-day leave on January 1, 2022, after the funeral had already taken place.
Mehdi made multiple appeals regarding his sentence, and his fifth request was accepted by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court in April of this year, leading to a reevaluation of his case and subsequent release. His co-defendant, Mehdi Rokhparvar, was pardoned and released in February 2023 as part of a mass amnesty associated with the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and he welcomed Mehdi upon his release.
Shortly before Mehdi's release, Pastor Anooshavan Avedian, another Iranian Christian, was acquitted by the same court of appeal on September 24.
The Christian community in Iran continues to face persecution, with accusations frequently framed as threats to national security. The Muslim population in Iran is roughly 98.5%, with the majority being Shi’a Muslims.
