two Iranian Christians have officially been charged with 'apostasy'.

two Iranian Christians have officially been charged with 'apostasy'. Mahmood Matin Azad, 52, and Arash Basirat, 44, have been in prison since May 15, when they were arrested in Shiraz. When their lawyer went to authorities to inquire about the case in early August, he was informed that the two men had been formally charged with apostasy. At that time authorities gave the lawyer an official document stating that the formal charge of 'apostasy' was based on the men's confessions during interrogation. The 'Interrogation Note – Investigator's Final Order' said that their 'culpability order' was based on Article 214 of the penal code and sections of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's treatise on legal affairs, the Tahrir ol Vassileh. Previous charges of 'Propaganda Against the Islamic Republic of Iran' had been dropped, according to the statement. Sources who spoke to the lawyer explained that authorities generally do not issue written statements, and that this was an indication of the severity and complexity of the case. With the apostasy bill to be debated in Parliament, some Iranian Christians fear that authorities are seeking to make an example of the two prisoners or give the prospective law a 'test run.'