Mahrokh Roksare Kanbari

Update April 3, 2020

Mahrokh Roksare Kanbari was released temporarily on March 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, having provided security of 30 million tomans ($2,000). On April 2, prison authorities informed Mahrokh that she was no longer required to return to prison. It is expected that she will be able to reclaim the money put down as security.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran, around 85,000 prisoners have been released, including some Christians. However, Christians convicted on political charges, such as ”acting against national security” have been refused release.

Prisoner Details

Shortly before Christmas in December 2018, three Iranian intelligence agents raided the home of Mahrokh Roksare Kanbari, 65, in the city of Karaj. The agents confiscated cell phones, Bibles and Christian materials. Mahrokh was then taken to intelligence offices, where she endured ten days of intense interrogation from morning to evening.

Mahrokh was conditionally released after submitting a bail of approximately $2,500. In January 2019, she was brought before the prosecutor to answer charges of “acting against national security.” She was then forced to go to a religious leader to be “instructed” and directed to return to Islam.

At her trial in July 2019, friends said the judge was rude and tried to humiliate Mahrokh. He then sentenced her to one year in prison for “propaganda against the system.”

Mahrokh was summoned to serve her one-year prison term in October 2019.