A remembrance service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Saturday, in partnership with the World Iranian Christian Alliance (WICA), to commemorate the many thousands killed during the protests in Iran earlier this year.

The service, which was held in both English and Persian, included contributions from several of the UK’s Iranian-born Christian leaders, including Rev Mehrdad Fatehi and Rev Omid Moludy, and Shirin Ward, sister of Bahram Dehqani-Tafti, who was among the Christians killed during the early years of the Islamic Republic.

Article18’s executive director, Mansour Borji, was also present, telling the Church Times it was an “honour to join in prayer … for all the people of Iran, while remembering members of Iran’s persecuted Christian community who lost their lives during the recent protests, including Zahra Arjmandi, Nader Mohammadi, Ehsan Afshari-Manesh, Mohsen Rashidi, and Ejmin Masihi. Their sacrifice must not be forgotten.”

He added: “The past year has been marked by conflict, upheaval, and profound uncertainty for many Iranians. During this period, members of the Christian community have often felt vulnerable, isolated, and overlooked. The prayers offered at St Paul’s, and the visible expression of solidarity shown, send a powerful message that they neither abandoned nor alone. We trust that this expression of Christian fellowship will bring hope and encouragement to many who continue to endure hardship and persecution across Iran.”

Rev Moludy told the Church Times that as “St Paul’s Cathedral holds a particular place in the spiritual and public memory of this nation, for Iranian Christians to gather there in prayer is therefore more than a symbolic moment. It is an act of lament, remembrance, and hope”.

“We come before God carrying the grief of those who have lost loved ones, the wounds of a suffering people, and the longing for peace, justice, and human dignity,” he added. “Christian prayer does not deny sorrow, nor does it turn away from the realities of violence and displacement. Rather, it brings them into the presence of the crucified and risen Christ, in whom suffering is not forgotten, death does not have the final word, and every human life is held before God with infinite worth.”

You can read more about the service here.