Her family fears life-long damage.
A Christian woman named Mojdeh Falahi, who converted from Islam, has been held in detention in Iran without charges since September 9. Her arrest occurred when she went to a prosecutor’s office in Shiraz to assist a fellow Christian who had been detained the previous day. Her family is concerned about her mental state and the conditions of her imprisonment, particularly because she has been weeping uncontrollably during brief visits. Sam Khosravi, her brother-in-law, expressed concern over her psychological well-being and the possibility of mistreatment by authorities.
Falahi is being held at the Pelak-e 100 Detention Center, run by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. Her family fears she is being interrogated for information about other Christians, although she is not known to be a church leader. Despite repeated efforts by her family to secure her release, she has not been granted access to legal representation, and her detention has now lasted over 10 days, which is unusual for Christian women in similar situations.
The Iranian government has a history of persecuting Christian converts, often subjecting them to psychological and physical abuse. Khosravi himself has experienced imprisonment for his faith, along with his wife and other family members. He believes that Iranian authorities aim not only to punish Christian converts but to break them mentally and emotionally, forcing them to renounce their faith or spread fear within the Christian community.
The impact of Falahi’s detention has been especially hard on her mother, who has been under significant emotional stress, showing signs of mental strain. Meanwhile, Khosravi continues to live in hiding to evade Iranian authorities. Iran is known for its harsh treatment of Christians, ranking ninth on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, which highlights the difficulties faced by Christians in the country, including increased violence and raids by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.