A Christian man and woman appealing against jail sentences for "spreading propaganda against the regime" have refused during a court appearance to renounce their faith.
Saheb Fadaie and Fatemeh Bakhteri face 18 months and twelve months respectively if two Tehran-based judges uphold their sentences - originally passed in September 2018.
It has emerged the pair were asked by the judges - who have both previously been accused of involvement in human rights violations - to renounce their Christian beliefs.
They have been accused of attacking Islam by discussing Christian doctrine in house churches.
Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of the religious freedoms charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said: "The conviction of Mr Fadaie and Ms Bakhteri for asserting Christian doctrine is not only a grave violation of their right to espouse a religious belief of their choosing, but also criminalises the Christian faith, which the Iranian constitution purports to recognise." [Premier] Read more
