Fatemeh Mohammadi is only 21 years old. But she’s a bold 21, stepping out with ferocity for her faith and God’s people, enduring repeated arrests and six months of imprisonment.
It has again been reported that this young woman has been arrested a third time and taken to an unknown location.
As of January 28, 2020, no one has heard from the young woman since her arrest, according to Open doors.
The website Article 18 reports that Mohammadi was arrested near Azadi Square, where protesters rallied over the Iranian government admitting to shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane. Several protesters were reportedly arrested last Sunday in multiple Iranian cities even though it is unclear whether she was participating in any of the demonstrations.
Article 18 reported that Fatemeh has been transferred to an unknown location.
Fatemeh Mohammadi was arrested on Sunday evening, reports @hra_news, and transferred to an unknown location. Nothing has been heard from her since and her family members are concerned for her safety. Last month Fatemeh was kicked out of university without explanation.
Already, the young Christian activist has been arrested three times and has spent six months in prison for being a member of a house church in Tehran. Just before the arrest, she was kicked out of the university she was attending for no given reason and only a week later was arrested again. In an interview with Article 18 (before the recent arrest), she spoke about her expulsion.
“It appears that my religious beliefs and having a prior conviction [because of Christian activities] on security-related charges, as well as my human rights activism, are the reasons for banning me from further education.
“The denial of basic and fundamental rights, such as the right to education, certainly can act as a pressure mechanism and is used as a lever to apply pressure on religious minorities and human rights activists in the hope that individuals will halt their activities and abandon their beliefs.
Depriving me of my education is certainly intended to exert pressure upon me, and silence me.”
The young woman is seen as a threat. She boldly speaks out about believers’ rights, including the cruel treatment she received in prison. She also writes on a variety of social issues and has also run a campaign petitioning for all Christians, including converts, to be given the right to worship in a church.
Earlier this year, Fatemeh wrote an open letter to Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, accusing him of violating the constitution by targeting Christians. Specifically, Article 23 of the constitution, which states that “no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.”
Fatemeh also questioned why Christians are prevented from “talking about their beliefs with their peers,” while Muslims can freely engage in “propaganda” at schools, universities, mosques and shrines
Last year, she was arrested again because she filed a complaint against a woman who assaulted her for not wearing her headscarf the right way. Her assailant was released, but Fatemeh once again found herself behind bars. She spent a night in prison and the next day was released with a warning.
Although the Iranian government insists that it offers religious freedom, persecution watchdog groups and human rights agencies have said the Islamic regime is very hostile toward minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, and others.
Iran ranks 9th on Christian support organisation Open Doors 2020 World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.