Mehran Shamloei, a 44-year-old Christian convert from Tehran, was arrested by Iranian security forces on July 3, 2025, at Mashhad Airport and taken to an undisclosed location, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Shamloei had previously received heavy sentences on religious and political charges.
In February 2025, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Shamloei to eight years in prison, fined him 250 million toman, and imposed a 15-year deprivation of civil rights for “propaganda against Islam.” He also received an additional two years and eight months in prison for “membership in anti-government groups.”
Shamloei was first detained on November 1, 2024, by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence agents in Tehran and held at Ward 209 of the notorious Evin Prison. He was released on bail on December 2, 2024, while awaiting trial.
The recent arrest at Mashhad Airport marks another chapter in the ongoing crackdown against religious minorities and political dissidents in Iran.
