An Assyrian pastor and two converts to Christianity who were detained in Iran's Evin prison have been released pending the date of their trial.
Mohabat News reported on Wednesday that Pastor Victor Bet-Tamarz, Amin Afshar Naderi and Kavian Fallah Mohammadi were temporarily freed by the government on bail.
All three have been barred from engaging in any Christian activities while they wait to be summoned by the Revolutionary Court as a condition of their release.
Pastor Bet-Tamarz formerly led the Shahr-Ara Pentecostal Church in Tehran for 30 years until he was dismissed as pastor by the government in March 2009. The pastor and the two converts were arrested by Iranian authorities in Iran on December 26, 2014, while they were celebrating Christmas in Tehran with 10 other converts. In the middle of the event, celebration, state security personnel arrived and arrested all 13 Christians.
The 10 other converts were subsequently released after signing a written interrogation and a disclaimer. Pastor Bet-Tamarz, Mohammadi and Naderi were detained and immediately transferred to Evin Prison.
According to Mohabat News, Naderi was released first on February 10 after posting a bail of $40,000. He had spent 36 days in jail with 30 days spent in solitary confinement.
Mohammadi was released a week later. The government attributed the delay to the time needed for the Revolutionary Court to obtain his title deed from the northern province, where Mohammadi was a resident. He spent the entirety of his stay in Evin Prison in solitary confinement.
Pastor Ben-Tamarz was released on March 1, 65 days after he was arrested, after posting an expensive property title deed as bail. The pastor also spent most of his time in solitary confinement, which resulted to health problems that continues to persist after his release.
The three Christians were also subjected to periodic interrogations by authorities in the prison, Mohabat News said.
