Ismaeil Maghrebinejad was arrested in Shiraz on 25 January 2019 and charged with “propaganda against the state and insulting the sacred Iranian establishment”, Middle East Concern reported.

Following a hearing on 8th of January at Branch 105 of the Civil Court in Shiraz, Ismaeil was found guilty of “insulting Islamic sacred beliefs” – he had received a joke that was disrespectful towards the ruling clerics – and sentenced to three years in prison under Article 513 of the Islamic Penal Code.

According to International Christian Concern, Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who himself was acquitted from an apostasy charge in 2012, was again arrested in Rasht four years ago and later sentenced to 10 years for “promoting Zionist Christianity.” He was jailed in 2018, and is appeal verdict is expected to be received on 11th of May. 

Religious freedom report: Iran still among world’s atrocious violators

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