This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A Christian who was sentenced to Iran’s notorious Evin Prison in Tehran has been released, a report confirms, apparently as part of the rogue Islamic regime’s celebration of its 44th anniversary.

Decision Magazine is reporting the religious liberty organization Article 18 announced the release of Mehdi Roohparvar.

“Roohparvar was arrested in January 2019, when intelligence agents raided several homes in the capital city of Tehran. He was convicted of ‘acting against national security by forming a house-church and sentenced in October 2020 to five years in prison,” the report said.

His sentence had been delivered then by Mohammad Moghiseh – who is known as the “Judge of Death” for his extreme intolerance for prisoners of conscience, according to Human Rights in Iran.

The release apparently is part of an amnesty effort connected to the anniversary of the foundation of the Islamic Republic.

Two others, Saheb Fadaie, and Moslem Rahimi were released just last month.

The Article 18 organization reported, “Each year, the Islamic Republic announces a wave of pardons to coincide with particular events – for example in October last year, when Christian converts Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh and Fariba Dalir were pardoned on the occasion of Muhammad’s birth.”

Those pardons, while welcome, the organization explained, “do not address the original injustice of their sentencing, and imprisonment, and the government continues to regard rights and freedoms guaranteed in international law as crimes, including the right to freely adopt a religion of one’s choice and to manifest one’s faith in community with others.”

Roohparvar had been told by a judge during his case, who set his bail at $220,000, “Your actions are worthy of death! Who set this low bail amount for you, so you could be free to roam about on the streets.”