IRAN DROPS DEATH-SENTENCE CARRYING CHARGES AGAINST PASTORS, CHRISTIANS

October 2, 2014: Iran has apparently dropped death-sentence carrying charges against two evangelical pastors and another believer, though the three men remain detained for their Christian activities, BosNewsLife learned.
Pastor Matthias Haghnejad, Pastor Behnam Irani and Deacon Silas Rabbani from the Church of Iran house church movement were instead tried for other alleged offences at the 1st Branch of the Revolutionary Tribunal in Karaj city last week, trial observers said.
Additionally Christians Moluk Ruhani, Zainab Akbari and Hamidreza Borhani, who were among six believers detained in Isfahan early September, have been released, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
However Mohammed Taslimi and Parsa Dadkhah remain incarcerated while the whereabouts of Moluk Ruhani’s sister, Sepideh Morshedi, remained unknown, Christians said.
Pastor Haghnejad, Pastor Irani and Deacon Rabbani, who are being held separately in Ghezal Hesar Prison, had recently been charged with 'Mofsed-e-filarz', or 'spreading corruption on earth', which carries a death sentence.
The two pastors had also been charged with Moharebeh, or 'warring against Allah', which experts say can also carry the death penalty. Behnam Irani, who is serving already a long prison term, had received 15 other charges, CSW told BosNewsLife.
Iranian Christians said that the Moharebeh and Mofsed-e-filarz charges "appear to have been dropped" and that all three were tried for “action against national security” and “creating a network to overthrow the System”.
It was unclear whether international pressure prompted authorities to drop more serious charges. The men now await a verdict from Judge Asel Al-Hosseyn, who tried their cases, Christians said. (Sources: BosNewsLife, 03/10/2014)