A christian convert has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Esmail Narimanpour who's from the Dezful, Khuzestan province and a member of the Liberation Message Church was accused of "acting against national security through association with Zionist Christian organizations" according to a report received by Hengaw Organization Human Rights.

Mohabbat News Agency reported that security forces arrested Narimanpour in December last year after searching his private residence, and confiscating some of his personal items. 

Narimanpour was among at least 46 christians arrested across Iran in a crackdown on house churches during the christmas period.

His wife and brother were also detained and interrogated by the Ministry of Intelligence Office in Ahva, but were later released after signing a commitment letter.

Narimanpour was previously arrested in April 2021 along with a group of other christian converts in Dezful. They were released after being interrogated and making a commitment to relinquish christian beliefs and activities and subsequently forced to attend Islamic classes.

Unlike the historic Armenian- and Assyrian-speaking christian communities, Farsi-speaking christians such as Narimanpour are converts from Islam which are apostates and therefore punishable according to Islamic law.