A man who was imprisoned in Iran after converting to Christianity has been released from jail after nearly five years.
Mehdi Akbari, who is known as Yasser, was released by an appeal court in Tehran after his ten year sentence was reduced.
His release came just days after the release of another Iranian Christian who had been serving a 10-year term, pastor Anooshavan Avedian, who was acquitted by the same court of appeal last week.
During his time in prison, Yasser applied for a retrial with the Supreme Court on five occasions. His first four applications were rejected, but his final application, lodged in April 2024, was accepted, and the Supreme Court ruled that the length of his sentence should be reviewed, leading ultimately to the hearing at the appeal court.
On his release Yasser was met outside prison by his family and friend and fellow Christian convert, Mehdi Rokhparvar, alongside whom he was initially sentenced and who was released from his own prison term last year.
Welcoming the news, the anti-persecution group Article 18 also called for the immediate release of at least 20 Christians still serving time in Iran because of their beliefs. It's director Mansour Borji said:
“Iran has for too long targeted Christians simply on account of their beliefs, while at the same time claiming on the world stage that ‘no-one is imprisoned for their beliefs’. The cases of Yasser, Anooshavan... and many others betray the falsehood of this claim.
"In reality, evangelical Christians and converts to Christianity, alongside other unrecognised religious groups, continue to be targeted only because of their beliefs.
"If the Islamic Republic of Iran really wants to build a reputation for being a place where no-one is imprisoned on account of their beliefs, it must immediately release all other religious prisoners of conscience, and fulfil its obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 18 of which enshrines religious freedom, including the freedoms to change one’s beliefs and to share them with others.”