Extra Bio Info:

Milad Goudarzi was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

In November 2020, authorities raided Goudarzi's home and confiscated his personal belongings, including religious texts.

In May 2021, it was reported that Goudarzi had been charged with "propaganda against the state" (Art. 500 IPC).

During the trial process at an unknown date, Goudarzi was arrested and subsequently released on bail after paying 250 million tomans.

In June 2021, Goudarzi was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 40 million tomans.

In August 2021, Goudarzi's sentence was reduced to three years in prison.

On November 10, 2021, Goudarzi was summoned to prison in Karaj to begin his sentence.

In January 2022, it was reported that Goudarzi would received a ten-day leave from prison to celebrate Christmas. 

On March 4, 2023, Milad Goodarzi was reportedly released from prison.

Goudarzi was previously arrested in 2017 for similar offenses related to his religious practice.

Extra Bio Info:

Luka Binniyat was detained for his reporting on religious groups and religious freedom conditions. 

On November 4, 2021, authorities arrested Binniyat, a journalist for the Epoch Times, in relation to an article he wrote on October 29, 2021. In the article, Binniyat reports on the government's failure to make arrests following a violent attack the month before that resulted in the deaths of 38 Christians. The article also includes a quote from a local senator from the Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone, criticizing the Kaduna State government for using a high-ranking Christian public official to "cover up" targeted violence based on religion in Southern Kaduna. 

On November 8, 2021, Binniyat was charged with allegedly using a computer to transmit knowingly false information "for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another" (Section 24(B)). 

On November 9, 2021, Binniyat's request for bail was rejected.

On November 23, 2021, Binniyat's request for bail was denied again.

On January 27, 2022, Binniyat was reportedly granted bail.  Early reports indicated that he had been released on this date, but additional reporting indicated that onerous bail conditions prevented him from being released.

On February 3, 2022, Binniyat was reportedly released from prison.

Binniyat's health deteriorated while imprisoned.  He reportedly suffers from an ailment in his joints and one of his knees that required him to use crutches to walk.

Binniyat is reportedly married with six children.

Extra Bio Info:

Shiraz Ahmad is detained for alleged blasphemy.

In February 2021, authorities arrested Ahmad after he was accused of creating an Ahmadiyya online group and sharing content in it. Authorities charged him with “inciting interfaith hatred” (Sec. 11 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016), “intending to outrage religious feelings,” “desecrating the Qur’an,” and “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” (Secs. 295-A, 295-B, 295-C PPC), and “posing as Muslim” (Sec. 298-C PPC) against Ahmad.