Iranian Christian convert receives 3 year prison sentence

ICC Note:
“Masoud Delijani has been sentenced in the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah province to three years in prison,” Mohabat News reports.
2/27/2012 Iran (Mohabat News) – Inquiry court for Masoud Delijani, a Christian convert was held in Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah. He had been arrested by plain clothes security forces in a house church gathering.
According to reporters of Iranian Christian news agency, Mohabat News, Masoud Delijani has been sentenced in the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah province to three years in prison.
Knowledgeable sources reported that the Christian convert was sentenced to three years in prison by the Revolutionary Court while the judicial process in this show-off court was unclear. He was also denied the right to choose his own advocate and was not even given the chance to defend himself against the charges.
This sentence has been issued although the Islamic Republic constitution clearly states that all defendants have the right to access a lawyer and according to the law, the court should provide the means so that the accused will have access to a lawyer.
Masoud Delijani, a school teacher in Kermanshah, is now being held in Deizal-Abad prison of Kermanshah to serve his three year prison sentence. The central prison of Kermanshah, also known as Deizal-Abad is described as deplorable by knowledgeable sources.
The wife and family of Mr. Delijani are not in a good mental state knowing he should remain in prison for 3 years. Received report indicates that his wife is only allowed to have a brief visit with him every two or three weeks from behind a glass and through the intercom.
It should be remembered that Masoud Delijani was arrested by plain clothes intelligence officers on March 17, 2011, together with his wife and nine other Christian converts when they had gathered in a house church for a service. Then, on July 9, 2011, after being held in custody, mostly in solitary confinement for 114 days, and after being severely pressured both mentally and physically, he was temporarily released on a bail of 100 million Tomans (about 100,000 USD).
While waiting for a call from the court, he was again arrested two weeks later and tried in the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah. The court charged him with having faith in Christianity, holding illegal house church gatherings, evangelizing Muslims and action against national security.
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