ASIA NEWS REPORT:
Noorollah Qabitizade and other Christians were in prison since Christmas of 2010. They were arrested during a private celebration in Dezful. In prison they suffered torture and interrogation sessions to force them to convert to Islam.
Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After 560 days in jail, Iranian authorities freed Noorollah Qabitizade (see photo Mohabat News), a Protestant pastor, and 10 other Muslim converts to Christianity. They were arrested in 2010 during an illegal celebration of Christmas in Dezful. Their case is linked to large-scale operation launched in 2010 by Tehran to stop proselytism and conversions to Christianity, which has led to more than 60 arrests.
Noorollah Qabitizade, 48, was released last July 17 from Karoon prison in the southwestern city of Ahwaz, on the orders of the courts of the province of Khuzestan.
In 19 months in detention, the man changed prison several times. To convince him to abandon Christianity, jailers tortured him and locked him up in solitary confinement.
At present it is unclear why he was released. Local sources claim that the release of Qabitizade and 10 other Christians is the result of the international campaign in favor of Youcef Nadrkhani, a Protestant clergyman sentenced to death for apostasy in 2009.
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Noorollah Qabitizade and other Christians were in prison since Christmas of 2010. They were arrested during a private celebration in Dezful. In prison they suffered torture and interrogation sessions to force them to convert to Islam.
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Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - After 560 days in jail, Iranian authorities freed Noorollah Qabitizade (see photo Mohabat News), a Protestant pastor, and 10 other Muslim converts to Christianity. They were arrested in 2010 during an illegal celebration of Christmas in Dezful. Their case is linked to large-scale operation launched in 2010 by Tehran to stop proselytism and conversions to Christianity, which has led to more than 60 arrests.
Noorollah Qabitizade, 48, was released last July 17 from Karoon prison in the southwestern city of Ahwaz, on the orders of the courts of the province of Khuzestan.
In 19 months in detention, the man changed prison several times. To convince him to abandon Christianity, jailers tortured him and locked him up in solitary confinement.
At present it is unclear why he was released. Local sources claim that the release of Qabitizade and 10 other Christians is the result of the international campaign in favor of Youcef Nadrkhani, a Protestant clergyman sentenced to death for apostasy in 2009.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS
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