Iranian AG Pastor Sentenced to Three Years
A Tehran military court sentenced a 47-year-old Assemblies of God lay pastor to a three-year prison term on Wednesday
A Tehran military court sentenced a 47-year-old Assemblies of God lay pastor to a three-year prison term on Wednesday, five months after his arrest with more than 80 other Christian leaders. The verdict came during the second and final session of a military trial that begun in late January.
According to Compass News, Hamid Pourmand, a former army colonel who became a Christian nearly 25 years ago, was found guilty of deceiving the Iranian army forces by not declaring that he was a convert from Islam to Christianity when he acquired officer rank. Under the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is illegal for a non-Muslim to serve as a military officer.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Pourmand’s lawyer produced several documents in which his client’s military superiors had acknowledged years ago that the colonel was a Christian. He had even been excused by his commander from observing the Muslim month of fasting, an exemption granted only to non-Muslims.
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Nevertheless, the court ruled that Pourmand was guilty of giving false testimony and producing falsified documents.
According to Compass, the three-year verdict represents the maximum penalty for Pourmand’s alleged offense.
It has not been clarified whether Pourmand’s jail term begins from Wednesday’s verdict, or dates from his original arrest on Sept. 9, 2004, when security police raided a church conference he was attending. However, Compass reported that Pourmand was automatically discharged from the army following sentencing, resulting in elimination of his regular income and nearly 20 years of military pension. His family is also required to vacate their home in military lodgings within the next few days as a result of the verdict.
A lawyer acting on behalf of Pourmand’s family said he would appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court, while blocking efforts to put Pourmand on trial before a Sharia court of Islamic law, where he could be sentenced to death under charges of apostasy and proselytizing.
Iran’s Constitution declares Islam as its official religion.
