Gender: Male

Current Location: Central Jail, Multan, Punjab

Perpetrator: Pakistan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Sentence: Death + Life Imprisonment + 10 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: May/13/2013

Date of Sentencing: December/21/2019

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Blasphemy (General) Blasphemy (Religious Figures) Blasphemy (Religious Texts)

Nature of Charges: Hate Speech

Junaid Hafeez

Extra Bio Info:

Junaid Hafeez is imprisoned and sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy. 

In March 2013, authorities arrested Hafeez, a lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University, after his students accused him of blaspheming Islam on social media. In 2014, authorities placed him in solitary confinement after other prisoners repeatedly attacked him. That same year, two gunmen shot to death Hafeez's lawyer, Rashin Rehman, in his office.

In December 2019, a district and sessions court in Multan sentenced Hafeez to death for "insulting the Prophet Muhammad" (Sec. 295-C PPC). He was also sentenced to life in prison for "desecrating the Qur'an" (Sec. 295-B PPC) and 10 years' imprisonment for "intending to outrage religious feelings" (Sec. 295-A PPC). United Nations experts swiftly condemned Hafeez's sentence.

Prior to his arrest, Hafeez received a master's degree in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship. He specialized in American literature, photography, and theatre.

Publicly Available Information:

Additional Name(s): Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Navard Gol-Tapeh, ناصر نورد گل‌تپه, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh

Gender: Male

Current Location: Evin Prison, Tehran

Perpetrator: Iran

Religion or Belief: Christian – Protestant

Health Concerns: Suffered from stroke while in detention

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Sentence: 10 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: July//2016

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Practicing Religion as a Convert Religious Activity Religious Belief Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization

Naser Navard Goltapeh

Extra Bio Info:

Naser Navard Goltapeh is imprisoned for his religious activity. 

In February 2025, authorities detained Goltapeh and other Christians without charge and sent him to Evin Prison. 

In May 2025, Goltapeh was hospitalized after suffering a stroke from a 35-day hunger strike protesting his detention in solitary confinement. After two days in Bani-Hashem Hospital, he was returned to the general ward of Evin Prison.

In September 2025, Judge Abolghasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court held a hearing for Goltapeh on the charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "acting against national security."  In the prosecutor’s final decision, activities such as establishing, operating, and leading a house church, holding evangelical Christian gatherings, and performing religious rites such as water baptism and communion were cited as examples of the alleged offenses.

On October 15, 2025, Judge Abolqasem Salavati sentenced Goltapeh to 10 years' imprisonment on various charges under the amended Article 500 of the Iranian penal code. The Ministry of Intelligence has confiscated his personal property, including Bibles and Christian literature.

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Naser Navard Goltapeh has been previously imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In June/July 2016, authorities arrested Goltapeh following a raid on an engagement party he was attending. He was reportedly denied access to a lawyer.

In November 2016, Goltapeh was reportedly released on bail.

In the summer of 2017, Goltapeh was sentenced to ten years in prison for "founding or leading an organization that aims to disrupt national security" (Art. 498 IPC), which reportedly included the crimes of "acting against national security, soft overthrow of the state through Christian proselytization, institutional relations with the church of The Living Word...and zionist propaganda."

In November 2017, it is reported that an appeals court had upheld Goltapeh's sentence.

In January 2018, it was reported that Goltapeh had been taken into state custody to begin serving his sentence. 

In August 2020, it was reported that Goltapeh had developed COVID-19 symptoms. 

In February 2022, it was reported that Goltapeh was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms following an outbreak in his prison.

In October 2022, it was reported that Goltapeh had been released from prison.

Goltapeh was reportedly routinely denied adequate medical care.

Goltapeh was reportedly denied retrials and parole, despite qualifying for it. 

Goltapeh was the primary caretaker of his mother prior to his initial arrest. 

Related cases: Joseph Shahbazian

Publicly Available Information:

Nov 12, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2019

 

 

USCIRF Advocacy for Robert Levinson Spurs New Development in Iran

U.S. State Department Also Intensifies Efforts to Free Levinson

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Months of efforts by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Andy Khawaja to determine the whereabouts of missing and presumed imprisoned U.S. citizen Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran in 2007, have finally yielded a breakthrough. Following parallel initiatives by the White House, State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Iranian government confirmed for the first time it has an open court case against Levinson and considers him a missing person.

“We are encouraged by this development and pleased that the U.S. government has intensified its efforts to locate Robert Levinson,” said Commissioner Khawaja. “We hope the State Department’s increased reward for information leading to Mr. Levinson’s recovery, along with the international isolation and heavy sanctions facing Iran, will convince the government to release him. I will not rest until he is reunited with his family in the United States. Mr. Levinson’s release, or giving his family closure on his disappearance, is a humanitarian interest and is in the best interest of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

On March 9, 2007, Levinson, a retired FBI agent and Jewish U.S. citizen, disappeared on the Iranian island of Kish. It is likely that the government of Iran disappeared him. While President Hassan Rouhani denied knowledge of his whereabouts, he indicated a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government to return Levinson to the United States. Then Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both urged the government of Iran to release Levinson, as has Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo more recently. On November 26, 2013, Levinson became the longest-held hostage in U.S. history. The Senate issued a resolution calling for his release in 2015, and in 2019, a bipartisan group of senators introduced S.Res. 104 urging Iran to “assist in locating and returning Robert Levinson.”

On March 11, 2019, Commissioner Khawaja adopted Levinson as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project and began to encourage new efforts to secure his release. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced on November 4 they would offer $20 million for information leading to Levinson’s recovery, on top of the $5 million the FBI is offering. On November 9, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances notified Levinson’s family that Iran considers his case “open” in the Public Prosecution and Revolutionary Court of Tehran. The next day, Iran’s Foreign Minister confirmed through government-controlled press channels that Iran considers his file a missing person’s case rather than a criminal matter. Later that day, President Donald Trump tweeted that Levinson’s release would be a “very positive step.”

 

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or call 202-523-3240.

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