Mother of a Christian convert detained in connection with the arrest of her daughter

The Christian convert “Masoumeh Ghasemi”, who had referred to the Evin Prison Court to find out about her daughter’s condition, was allegedly arrested and interrogated by the officers of the said court without any reason or explanation

Two weeks after the beginning of a new wave of arrests of Christians in Tehran and several other cities in Iran, which has been followed by the Christian News Agency of Iran “Mohabat News”, new reports about the arrest of more converts of “Tehran One-hearted Women’s Church” can be heard from the house church for women

The Christian convert, Mrs. Masoumeh Ghasemi, the mother of Somayeh Sadegh (Sonia), whose temporary release was recently reported by Mohabat News, was among those arrested and interrogated by Evin Prison officials for no apparent reason

When Sonia, a member of the “One-hearted” Women’s Church in Tehran, who was arrested on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in a house church, intelligence agents took her to her father’s house, where she lived. After inspecting and searching the house, plainclothes officers informed Sonia’s family that the next day they could go to the Shahid Moghaddasi Court in Evin Prison to find out about the status of their daughter’s case

According to reports received by Mohabat News, 51-year-old Masoumeh Ghasemi, who converted to Christianity at the same time as her daughter Sonia, went to the Shahid Moghaddasi courthouse in Evin Prison the next day (Wednesday, July 1, 2020) to inquire about her daughter’s condition. Apparently, she was arrested and interrogated without any reason or explanation and with prior planning by the officers of the mentioned court

Mrs. “Ghasemi” along with her daughter Sonia, on Thursday, July 9, 2020, after several days of detention in Evin Prison Detention Center in Tehran, by Branch 3 of the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Shahid Moghaddasi, was temporarily released on a bail of 300 million Tomans ($14,000)

The judge of the “Shahid Moghaddasi” court has issued a real estate bail of 800 million Tomans ($36,700) for Masoumeh Ghasemi and her daughter Sonia. Determining this amount of bail, which is a very heavy figure, is unprecedented for Christians detained in Iran

Sonia’s mother, Masoumeh Ghasemi, a Christian convert, like her daughter, is a member of the “One-Hearted” women’s Church

After her release, the Christian mother has so far refused to contact the media and provide information in this regard due to threats from intelligence agents

Intelligence and security agents have put extra pressure on the families of detained women to refrain them from contacting the media. For this reason, “Mohabat News” has not been able to contact the detainees and their families so far

The Special Church of the “Women Christian Believers of Tehran”, which focuses on prayer, worship and Christian healing, has been pressured by the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization and the judiciary of the Islamic Republic for unknown reasons, so that the group of Christian mothers and sisters of this church cannot freely pray, worship and practice their religion. There are credible reports that more information about the members of the capital’s women’s home church who were arrested on June 29th and 30th, is available and will be released soon