‘Iranian judiciary intent on suppressing independent lawyers and rights defenders’

‘Iranian judiciary intent on suppressing independent lawyers and rights defenders’

An Iranian human rights lawyer says the latest move by the judiciary to stifle the independence of lawyers shows the presence of “even a small number of human rights defenders is intolerable for the judiciary”.

‘Just because I’m Christian, I’m deprived of any promotion’

‘Just because I’m Christian, I’m deprived of any promotion’

Maryam Dehkordi focuses on the myriad ways in which religious minorities are discriminated against in Iran, in violation of the Constitution.

Iran’s recognised Christians – the unlikely allies of the Islamic Republic

Iran’s recognised Christians – the unlikely allies of the Islamic Republic

The Iranian state propaganda machine continues to use the country’s recognised Christian minority groups – of Armenian and Assyrian descent – as tools to speak out against the rise of evangelical Christianity in Iran.

Hardliner’s appointment as judiciary chief shows ‘only regime’s survival matters’

Hardliner’s appointment as judiciary chief shows ‘only regime’s survival matters’

The appointment of another infamous hardliner as the new head of Iran’s judiciary, replacing president-elect Ebrahim Raisi, is being seen as another step towards an even more repressive Islamic Republic.

What will a Raisi presidency mean for Iran’s Christians?

What will a Raisi presidency mean for Iran’s Christians?

As the dust settles on Ebrahim Raisi’s unsurprising election victory, amid record low voter turnout, Article18 assesses what the result […]

How Hassan Rouhani failed to deliver on his election promises to religious minorities

How Hassan Rouhani failed to deliver on his election promises to religious minorities

As the next election approaches, Article18’s Kiaa Aalipour analyses the situation of religious minorities, especially Christians, during Hassan Rouhani’s two terms in office.

Rethinking international freedom of religion or belief policies

Rethinking international freedom of religion or belief policies

Nazila Ghanea considers how the Biden administration should approach international religious freedom, especially in light of Trump-era policies.

The impact of ‘white torture’ on Iranian Christians

The impact of ‘white torture’ on Iranian Christians

Article18’s Mansour Borji describes the deep and long-lasting negative impacts of “white torture” on Iranian Christian prisoners of conscience.

For Iranian Christian refugees, limbo in Turkey can lead to danger

For Iranian Christian refugees, limbo in Turkey can lead to danger

Esmaeil Falahati’s case shows how the fates of asylum-seekers—often Christians—have become subject to Turkish officials sometimes unsympathetic with their plight, and the repercussions of countries closing their borders to refugees.

A recipe for intolerance: Iran’s blueprint for cracking down on Christians

A recipe for intolerance: Iran’s blueprint for cracking down on Christians

In spite of what regime figures like to say about the “tolerance” of the Islamic Republic, from the early days of the revolution — as soon as they were firmly in power — the ayatollahs began a crackdown on civil and religious liberties.