SPECIAL FEATURE
IRAN: CONVERT COUPLE
ARRESTED, TORTURED,
THREATENED
Officers seize
Christians from their
home, leaving ill
4-year-old girl
unattended.
Tina Rad |
| |
LOS ANGELES,
Security police
officials in Tehran last
month tortured a newly
converted couple and
threatened to put their
4-year-old daughter in
an institution after
arresting them for
holding Bible studies
and attending a house
church.
A Christian source in
Iran said that
28-year-old Tina Rad was
charged with “activities
against the holy
religion of Islam” for
reading the Bible with
Muslims in her home in
east Tehran and trying
to convert them.
Officials charged her
husband, 31-year-old
Makan Arya, with
“activities against
national security” after
seizing the couple from
their home on June 3,
forcing them to leave
their 4-year-old
daughter ill and
unattended.
Authorities kept them in
an unknown jail for four
days, which left them
badly bruised from
beatings, with Rad “very
ill” and unable to walk,
said the source. Rad was
released on bail of
US$30,000 bail, and her
husband was freed on
payment of US$20,000.
“The next time there may
also be an apostasy
charge, if you don’t
stop with your Jesus,” a
female security police
officer told Rad during
interrogation, according
to the source. Under
Iran’s strict Islamic
laws, Muslims who
convert from Islam to
another religion can be
executed.
A draft law before the
Iranian parliament would
make the death penalty
mandatory for
“apostates” who leave
Islam.
“They went to a court
hearing just for show,”
the source said, “as
secret police had
already taken their
signatures by force with
a statement that they
had not changed their
religion.”
The charges, however,
are still open, said the
source, a close friend
of the couple.
The female security
police official warned
Rad that if she and her
husband continued
attending a house church
and holding Bible
studies, they could be
imprisoned “for a very
long time” and would
lose their daughter,
Odzhan Arya. An officer
also told Rad that
authorities could
concoct a drug case
against them, “and you
will be punished as drug
smugglers.”
A male security police
official also threatened
Rad, who along with her
husband received Christ
as savior about three
months ago, the source
said.
“He told Tina during the
interrogation that if
she doesn’t cooperate
and tell some names and
addresses, she won’t see
her daughter for a long
time,” the source said.
“They said, ‘Next time
if we catch you, you are
going to miss your whole
family forever.’”
An officer also told
Arya that authorities
could place his daughter
“in a protected
religious institution.”
The charge against Arya
of “activities against
national security” was
based on his allowing
Bible sessions with
Muslims in his apartment
and trying to go to the
house church, the source
said.
Confirmation from the
couple’s denomination of
their arrest and
mistreatment was not
immediately available.
Forced Statements
The couple was forced to
sign a statement, the
source said, that they
wouldn’t go back to
their house church and
that they would have no
contact with other
Christians – and that if
they did, “they will be
punished by the law of
Islam.”
The charges and forced
statements seem to
contravene the
International Covenant
on Civil and Political
Rights, to which Iran is
a party, giving it the
force of law. Article 18
of the covenant
stipulates that everyone
shall have the right to
adopt a religion or
belief, as well as
freedom individually or
in community in public
or private to manifest
one’s religion or belief
in worship, observance,
practice and teaching.
The couple would forfeit
their bail and their
freedom if secret
religious police catch
them engaged in
Christian activities,
they were told in the
court before their
release.
“They were tortured
psychologically and
physically,” the source
said. “There are a lot
of blue places on their
bodies. Tina can’t walk
well and is very ill,
and her husband Makan is
still very shocked.”
The couple was arrested
after a relative of Arya
informed security police
of the couple’s
Christian activities.
According to the friend
of the couple, officers
confiscated their
personal computer,
satellite dish and
television set, as well
as all books, videos,
CDs, DVDs and even a
photo album.
“Tina is very sick, and
because of the pain on
the right side of her
head from the torture,
and the shock of the
whole situation, she
can’t leave the house
and their daughter,” the
source said. “She knows
for sure that they are
monitored in all their
communications.”
Societal Hostilities
Following their arrest,
the husband and wife
also suffered at the
hands of family and area
Muslims.
In order to make the
bail payments, Arya
obtained financial help
from his father – on the
condition that he
promise to divorce his
wife.
“So he did [promise],
and now of course he
refuses to divorce,” the
source said. “So his
father gave him an
ultimatum. There is
discrimination even in
the family against
them.”
Rad, Makan Arya,
daughter Odzhan |
| |
After their release, the
couple found the window
of their clothing shop
had been smashed.
“Almost the whole street
knows about them, so
imagine how difficult
their business is,” said
the source. “They want
to change the shop and
go somewhere else. Every
day and night they get
some calls from unknown
people, and their life
at this moment is under
invisible and visible
surveillance.”
On Monday (June 23) Arya
received letters at both
the clothing shop and
his home stating that he
must place evidence on
his new window pane
indicating his Islamic
faith by displaying a
statement and photos, or
else he would have to
buy a new window every
day.
The source said Arya
displayed a photo of
Islamic leaders on the
window, “but they want
to go somewhere else.”
Arya went to area police
asking for protection,
the source said, “but
they told him not to lie
and to ‘go do something
about it if you are a
real believer of
Islam.’”
Provided by
Compass Direct News
