Iranian Christian refugees resettled in Canada longing to call somewhere ‘home’ 4 October 2023 Features Naghmeh and Yashar with their daughter, Elliana. An Iranian Christian couple recently resettled in Canada have spoken of their longing to finally be able to call somewhere “home”, having spent seven and a half years as refugees in Turkey. Earlier this year, Article18 released a report outlining the “critical need” for new resettlement opportunities for the hundreds of Iranian Christian refugees in Turkey, and Naghmeh and Yashar’s story offers a further reminder. Speaking to Canadian charity One Free World International, which aided their resettlement, Naghmeh said she and her husband are still struggling to come to terms with being able to call somewhere “home”, having lived for so long as “landless” people. “When we were in Turkey for seven and half years, we didn’t have any land,” she explained. “They called [us] on our ID card that ‘[they have] no land’. And we sort of got used to it, that we don’t have any land. “When we arrived [in] Canada, the first thing that I tried to repeat it in my mind and my heart [was] that ‘this is home’, the thing that we [didn’t] have even back in Iran. “Iran is our home, but you feel that this is not your home, because somebody else just took it from you. And in Turkey also, we [didn’t] have a feeling that this is our home. But when we came [to Canada], we [felt] that ‘OK, this is a free land, and this can be my home.’ “And I still struggle a lot to feel it, because we [got] used to [not having] any home, or any land to call home. But every single day, we try to remember that this is our home and this is a place that we have to live for the rest of our life. “So it is challenging, but full of hope, full of enjoyment, that at least you are in a safe place and you can call it home.” Naghmeh explained how she and her husband, who are both Christian converts, fled Iran after 50 of their Christian friends were arrested on Christmas Day. “We don’t know why [the intelligence agents] didn’t come [for] us,” she said. “But they asked [our friends] about us, so we know that they [also knew] us.” Then, after travelling to South Africa, their pastor was contacted by intelligence agents, who wanted to know more about the couple’s trip. “So we realised that they really monitor us and they know us,” Naghmeh explained. At that time, Naghmeh and Yashar belonged to an Assemblies of God church, which offered services in the national language of Persian, but their church was one of many such churches to be ordered to cease this provision, and then forcibly closed. “We came back [from South Africa], and they closed the churches,” Naghmeh recalls. “They had our ID cards – they asked for our ID cards [and] many people [gave their] ID cards to the government [which said that] we are Christian. [And] after that they closed the church.” Naghmeh and Yashar then went on to lead underground churches, but after taking a group of fellow converts to Armenia to be baptised, they returned to discover that their closest friend had been arrested. “So we knew that they are so close to us,” Naghmeh said. “We came back to Iran, we didn’t do the baptis[m] because [we were] afraid … and after a few days my husband got a phone call from an unknown [number].” Naghmeh said they “knew what that meant” – that it was the intelligence service – “so we decided to come to Turkey”. “My father said that, ‘It’s good to go to Turkey for a week and just see what is happening,’” she said. “And after a few days, my father called me and said, ‘No, [the agents] are coming to the door and said, ‘Where are they?’, and so because of that we [had] to go to the UN and become refugee[s] in Turkey.” Naghmeh said she and her husband had just bought a house in Iran and “didn’t want to be refugees”, but felt they had no choice but to “leave everything behind, flee to Turkey, and start our life as refugees”. You can watch the full interview below.
‘I’m just a ghost here in Sweden,’ says rejected asylum-seeker 29 September 2023 Features Elmira, during a recent protest with the “I am a Christian Too” group in Stockholm, holding up a poster highlighting the recent mass arrests of Christians in Iran. Elmira Torabi says becoming a refugee was the last thing on her mind when she left Iran in early 2021 to begin a master’s degree in nanotechnological engineering in Rome. But within four months, Elmira had not only discontinued her studies, but had left Italy for Sweden, and later that year had filed an asylum claim. The reason? Elmira says that her family had discovered that she had become a Christian, and had threatened that they would come to Italy to take her back home with them. “First of all I removed my hijab, and then I took pictures while being in the church, and I put them on Facebook,” she told Article18. “So my family found out about it and so they knew that, well, I’m pretty serious about my faith. “And when I actually told them about my faith, they didn’t want to accept that I am a Christian. And I knew that I had no possibility to go back to Iran, but I also knew that I could not stay like that in Italy, because it would be not impossible for my family to come and take me with them back to Iran.” And so Elmira travelled to Sweden, where an uncle lives who was also the person who first introduced her to Christianity – back when she was still in Iran. But now in Sweden, Elmira says she was suddenly confronted with a reality for which she had never prepared. “When I arrived in Sweden, I didn’t know anything about the asylum procedure because the reason I left Iran was not to become a refugee,” she says, “so I just took any advice that people would give me.” And that included being advised to ensure she had a baptism certificate before applying for asylum. “As my visa expired, I was told by others that I should wait for six months, and also that I should consider baptism,” she explains, “because there were people who were Christians but hadn’t been baptised and, when they applied for asylum, the Swedish government would reject their requests to accept them as refugees just because they didn’t have a baptism certificate.” And so Elmira followed the advice, but her claim was still rejected. After two interviews with the Swedish immigration authorities in early 2022, Elmira says she was told that “the answers you gave showed that you’re not a Muslim anymore and that you know the Bible quite well, but this is not enough evidence to show that you’re a real Christian”. Elmira says her lawyer was “very disappointed and dissatisfied with the answer of the government”, and appealed, but a further hearing in the summer of 2022 only came to the same conclusion. It’s now more than a year since Elmira’s claim was rejected, and the 27-year-old has been told she should return to Iran. But with no intention of doing so, Elmira now describes her position – with no recognition, nor any prospects in Sweden – as living like a ghost. “This country, they will not force you to leave,” she says. “But you are just a ghost; you’re living here with no particular rights. You can’t do anything; you can’t travel, work, or do any other activities, so it’s like living like a ghost.” With other avenues cut off, Elmira has devoted her time to becoming more involved with two local churches – one Swedish, the other international – and has taken part in theological training and now even been accepted onto a leadership training course. She has also joined in with protests alongside fellow Iranians from the “I Am a Christian Too” group, including on World Refugee Day this year, when the group protested about refugees’ rights in Sweden. Elmira (bottom row, second from left), at the World Refugee Day protest. Because Elmira is not alone. As Article18 reported earlier this year, several other Iranian Christian converts are in a similar position in Sweden, having seen their asylum applications rejected and been told they must return to Iran. But, as with Elmira, these unrecognised refugees have no intention to do so, and therefore end up in a state of limbo – like “ghosts”, as Elmira put it. Some of the other unrecognised refugees have been in Sweden for many years, like Arash Mirzaee, who arrived more than a decade ago. “It’s very difficult to live in Sweden without residency,” he explained. “I don’t have the permission to have a bank account, or any other right that a human being needs to live here – like getting a driver’s license, a bank card, attending classes, or getting a work permit.” Milad Motamedi, who has been in Sweden for eight years, added: “We are dealing with many problems – not having a work permit, and also not being able to study and participate in society. “We don’t even have the possibility to go on a trip and book a hotel or plane ticket, which is actually a normal thing in the life of every person. “In some cases it has not been possible for my child to see a doctor; it is not possible to shop online; and the combination of all these things causes stress and problems.” “My whole life – days and nights – is spent in stress and anxiety about the future and what will happen to me,” Arash added. “For these 12 years, I could have studied, had a good job, and peace, but I haven’t had any of these things; only stress and anxiety.” The Swedish newspaper Dagen recently visited the country’s largest asylum accommodation, and met with around 20 Iranian asylum-seekers, all of whose cases were based on their professed conversions to Christianity, and all of whose claims had been rejected. Dagen reported that they had all received the same response from the authorities: that “their Christian faith is not considered genuine, and therefore does not constitute a basis for protection”. According to the judgments that Dagen viewed, the converts’ stories were considered “vague”, unreliable and lacking “deeper reflections”, leading the judges to conclude that their conversions were “not because of a genuine religious conviction”. But the asylum-seekers told Dagen they didn’t know what more they could do to prove the genuineness of their faith. And Elmira said much the same to Article18. “I don’t know how they want to judge us, but I really want this country to understand that we aren’t acting, but this is our belief,” she said. “I can’t deny it, and if I deny my God, if I say that ‘OK, this is not true’, it means that I have to lose part of my heart! “Everything changed for me [after becoming a Christian], but how can I prove to them that I’m a Christian? Is it with a document? Is it my words? I don’t know how they judge, but I really want to say that I’m not acting; this is me and this is my belief, and I can’t deny it. If they say that ‘this is not true’, OK, you say that, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t in my heart. I know my mind, even if I can’t do anything to change your belief and your mindset.”
Closed Doors – Persecuted Christians and the US Refugee Resettlement and Asylum Processes 22 September 2023 Reports Iranian Christians continue to be among the most affected by the significant drop in refugee resettlement to the United States in recent years, according to a new report. Just 112 Iranian Christians were resettled to the US last year, 95 per cent fewer than 2016, the last year when resettlement figures remained at their historically high level, according to the report, ‘Closed Doors’, which was co-authored by Christian charities World Relief and Open Doors US. An Iranian woman, referred to as “Mana”, was one of those resettled in 2016, and is featured as the first of four case studies in the report, which is the second edition of a report first published in 2020. Mana, like many other Iranian Christian refugees, fled first to Turkey, where she and her youngest son lived in “challenging conditions” for two and a half years before being accepted for resettlement. Meanwhile, her oldest son was still in prison in Iran, and though he has since been released and also fled Iran, and Mana has applied for him to be resettled with her, the report states that “the wait time will likely be at least eight years” as “the odds of being selected for refugee resettlement have grown slim in recent years”. “Facing the threat of imminent deportation,” the report adds, this son recently “embarked on a dangerous journey to seek asylum in Europe” and at the time of writing had made it as far as Albania, “with hopes of eventually finding freedom in Germany”. Why the decline in refugee resettlement? The report explains that between 1980, when the Refugee Act was passed, and 2016, around 80,000 refugees arrived in the US each year, with the maximum intake – or “refugee ceiling” – set at around 95,000. This “ceiling” was reduced each year between 2017 and 2020, when the US resettled fewer than 10,000 refugees for the first time since the resettlement programme was created. Then in April 2021, the “ceiling” was set by the newly installed president, Joe Biden, at just 15,000, which “surprised and dismayed many refugee and religious freedom advocates”, according to the report. And while after this “pushback” the ceiling was increased, by the end of 2021 the initial maximum of 15,000 refugees had still not been reached. Since 2021, the numbers have been steadily rising, the report notes, with the US on track to resettle around 60,000 refugees this year. However, with the official ceiling now more than double that figure (125,000), the report authors call for overseas processing and domestic resettlement infrastructures to be rebuilt “to ensure that this goal is met”. “The positive trend in the number of persecuted Christians being resettled seems likely to continue,” the report notes. “Still, the U.S. has yet to return to the number of persecuted Christians being resettled with relative consistency prior to 2017—and further policy changes, such as a reduction in the overall refugee ceiling, could abruptly slam the door shut on persecuted Christians seeking refuge as occurred beginning in 2017.” What else does the report say? The authors note that both the number of displaced people and number of Christians experiencing “high levels of persecution and discrimination” have risen since 2020, and while “not every persecuted Christian flees their home … and not every displaced person is persecuted on account of their religion … these numbers certainly are related”. Meanwhile, America is “no longer the safe haven for displaced persons that it once was”. Last year, the number of Christians resettled to the US from the top 50 countries on Open Doors’ World Watch List – with Iran at number eight on this list of countries where Christians are most persecuted – was “down 70 percent from 2016”. “Last year, 9,528 Christians were resettled from these 50 countries, down from 32,248 in 2016,” though this was still “a significant rebound from the low point of 5,390 Christian refugees resettled from these countries in 2020”. And of the four countries mentioned as reference cases, Iran once again ranked the worst, with a 95% fall in resettlement compared to 2016, ahead of Iraq (94%), Myanmar (92%) and Eritrea (85%). The report, while focusing on Christians, also notes that members of other faith groups – including Baha’is, Zoroastrians and Sabaen Mandaeans – have also been affected. It further notes that asylum-seekers who have yet to be recognised as refugees are often even more “vulnerable to hardship, exploitation and injustice, as they wait to be recognized by a host country”. Meanwhile, “asylum cases can be difficult to win, even when the asylum seeker has legitimately fled persecution … because the burden of proof in an asylum case is on the asylum seeker, and often they lack documentary evidence of what they claim to have experienced”. What recommendations are made? The authors conclude by asking Christians to pray and advocate for those who are persecuted on account of their faith, and US officials: To consistently prioritize the advancement of international religious freedom, and to leverage diplomatic influence to urge all countries to reduce religious persecution and discrimination. To restore the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program, both consistently setting the annual refugee ceiling at a high level such as 125,000 and rebuilding the overseas processing and domestic resettlement infrastructure to ensure that this goal is met. To ensure that those persecuted for their faith continue to have access to the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program alongside those persecuted for other reasons. To reject changes to asylum processing that reduce access to due process and present new barriers to those with credible fears of persecution from accessing protection in the United States.
Iranian Christians continue to suffer most from US reduction in refugee resettlement – report 22 September 2023 News Iranian Christians continue to be among the most affected by the significant drop in refugee resettlement to the United States in recent years, according to a new report. Just 112 Iranian Christians were resettled to the US last year, 95 per cent fewer than 2016, the last year when resettlement figures remained at their historically high level, according to the report, ‘Closed Doors’, which was co-authored by Christian charities World Relief and Open Doors US. An Iranian woman, referred to as “Mana”, was one of those resettled in 2016, and is featured as the first of four case studies in the report, which is the second edition of a report first published in 2020. Mana, like many other Iranian Christian refugees, fled first to Turkey, where she and her youngest son lived in “challenging conditions” for two and a half years before being accepted for resettlement. Meanwhile, her oldest son was still in prison in Iran, and though he has since been released and also fled Iran, and Mana has applied for him to be resettled with her, the report states that “the wait time will likely be at least eight years” as “the odds of being selected for refugee resettlement have grown slim in recent years”. “Facing the threat of imminent deportation,” the report adds, this son recently “embarked on a dangerous journey to seek asylum in Europe” and at the time of writing had made it as far as Albania, “with hopes of eventually finding freedom in Germany”. Why the decline in refugee resettlement? The report explains that between 1980, when the Refugee Act was passed, and 2016, around 80,000 refugees arrived in the US each year, with the maximum intake – or “refugee ceiling” – set at around 95,000. This “ceiling” was reduced each year between 2017 and 2020, when the US resettled fewer than 10,000 refugees for the first time since the resettlement programme was created. Then in April 2021, the “ceiling” was set by the newly installed president, Joe Biden, at just 15,000, which “surprised and dismayed many refugee and religious freedom advocates”, according to the report. And while after this “pushback” the ceiling was increased, by the end of 2021 the initial maximum of 15,000 refugees had still not been reached. Since 2021, the numbers have been steadily rising, the report notes, with the US on track to resettle around 60,000 refugees this year. However, with the official ceiling now more than double that figure (125,000), the report authors call for overseas processing and domestic resettlement infrastructures to be rebuilt “to ensure that this goal is met”. “The positive trend in the number of persecuted Christians being resettled seems likely to continue,” the report notes. “Still, the U.S. has yet to return to the number of persecuted Christians being resettled with relative consistency prior to 2017—and further policy changes, such as a reduction in the overall refugee ceiling, could abruptly slam the door shut on persecuted Christians seeking refuge as occurred beginning in 2017.” What else does the report say? The authors note that both the number of displaced people and number of Christians experiencing “high levels of persecution and discrimination” have risen since 2020, and while “not every persecuted Christian flees their home … and not every displaced person is persecuted on account of their religion … these numbers certainly are related”. Meanwhile, America is “no longer the safe haven for displaced persons that it once was”. Last year, the number of Christians resettled to the US from the top 50 countries on Open Doors’ World Watch List – with Iran at number eight on this list of countries where Christians are most persecuted – was “down 70 percent from 2016”. “Last year, 9,528 Christians were resettled from these 50 countries, down from 32,248 in 2016,” though this was still “a significant rebound from the low point of 5,390 Christian refugees resettled from these countries in 2020”. And of the four countries mentioned as reference cases, Iran once again ranked the worst, with a 95% fall in resettlement compared to 2016, ahead of Iraq (94%), Myanmar (92%) and Eritrea (85%). The report, while focusing on Christians, also notes that members of other faith groups – including Baha’is, Zoroastrians and Sabaen Mandaeans – have also been affected. It further notes that asylum-seekers who have yet to be recognised as refugees are often even more “vulnerable to hardship, exploitation and injustice, as they wait to be recognized by a host country”. Meanwhile, “asylum cases can be difficult to win, even when the asylum seeker has legitimately fled persecution … because the burden of proof in an asylum case is on the asylum seeker, and often they lack documentary evidence of what they claim to have experienced”. What recommendations are made? The authors conclude by asking Christians to pray and advocate for those who are persecuted on account of their faith, and US officials: To consistently prioritize the advancement of international religious freedom, and to leverage diplomatic influence to urge all countries to reduce religious persecution and discrimination. To restore the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program, both consistently setting the annual refugee ceiling at a high level such as 125,000 and rebuilding the overseas processing and domestic resettlement infrastructure to ensure that this goal is met. To ensure that those persecuted for their faith continue to have access to the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program alongside those persecuted for other reasons. To reject changes to asylum processing that reduce access to due process and present new barriers to those with credible fears of persecution from accessing protection in the United States.
Iranian-Armenian pastor begins 10-year sentence for his ‘disturbing’ teachings 18 September 2023 News As Iran’s president was flying to New York this morning, an Iranian-Armenian pastor was handing himself in to prison in Tehran to begin a 10-year sentence for engaging in “propaganda contrary to and disturbing to the holy religion of Islam”. Anooshavan Avedian, who is 61 years old, was sentenced more than a year ago, but had not been summoned to serve his sentence until he was visited last week by two plainclothes officers from the Ministry of Intelligence. This visit took place last Wednesday, the same day that another Iranian-Armenian pastor, Joseph Shahbazian, was released from Evin Prison. That very same day, Anooshavan was told that the time had come for him to begin his own 10-year jail term. Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, said the timing of Anooshavan’s summons showed that “the general policy of the Iranian government towards Christians has not changed”. “Although we have seen a number of Christians released this year,” he said, “the fact that somebody has now gone to prison on the same charges or for the same activities for which others have been pardoned or released, or had their sentences reduced, shows the arbitrary nature of the judicial system in Iran.” Mr Borji added that it was not clear why Anooshavan’s summons had taken so long, but that “the human effect of this long wait cannot be underestimated”. “While people appreciate enjoying as much time as possible with their family and loved ones, the constant threat of imprisonment hovering over your head is in itself a kind of torture,” he said. Anooshavan was first arrested more than three years ago during a raid on his home, and was eventually charged and sentenced alongside two Christian converts, Abbas Soori and Maryam Mohammadi, who were handed non-custodial sentences. In addition to Anooshavan’s 10-year prison term, he also faces 10 years’ “deprivation of social rights” after his release. All three Christians applied for a retrial with the Supreme Court, but their applications were rejected.
Iranian Christians publish joint statement on anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death 16 September 2023 News Article18 has joined over 125 other Iranian Christian organisations and churches from 16 different countries in signing a joint statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the death in custody of Mahsa Amini. In the statement, the full text of which can be read below, we praise the women, men and children of Iran who have “sacrificed their lives for freedom, human dignity, respect for human rights, and ending the rule of discrimination and injustice for all Iranians,” and call on the international community to hold the Iranian authorities accountable for their “rule of religious tyranny”. We also note how Iranian Christians have “joined together with other fellow citizens of our country in protest and resistance, generating hope for a free Iran, and in doing so some of them have paid a price”. We conclude by demanding “justice and equal rights for all Iranians, … the release of all prisoners of conscience; access to medical care for the injured; and an end to harassment and pressure on the protestors’ families”. You can read the full statement, and list of signatories, below. WE REMEMBER We, as part of the Iranian Christian community, commemorate the anniversary of the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the beginning of the freedom-loving and justice-seeking uprising of the Iranian nation. We remember how courageous women, men, and even children of our country have challenged the rule of religious tyranny over the past year. With slogans such as “woman, life, freedom” and “we are all Mahsa”, the people of Iran are standing against injustice and oppression like a family, with an outstanding sense of solidarity. We are proud of the hundreds of young Iranians who have sacrificed their lives for freedom, human dignity, respect for human rights, and ending the rule of discrimination and injustice for all Iranians. We pray for their families to be comforted. The Bible has taught us, “Whoever closes his ears to the cry of the voiceless, he himself will cry one day and no-one will hear.” (Proverbs 21:13) Today, we all – from different people groups, languages and beliefs in Iran – have a common issue. The unjust rulers of Iran have injured, disabled, and blinded thousands of protestors and non-violent protesters, and thousands more have been imprisoned and tortured. In order to continue their repression and generate fear, the families of the victims have been imprisoned and put under pressure; the doctors who treated the wounded protestors have been killed; and a number of young protestors have been sentenced to death in government show trials. Despite the governments’ all-out violence, the spirit of fear has not prevailed over the Iranian people, and the men and women of our country continue their struggle with courage. Iranian Christians have also joined together with other fellow citizens of our country in protest and resistance, generating hope for a free Iran, and in doing so some of them have paid a price. While supporting the UN’s establishment of a fact-finding mission to investigate the government’s illegal crackdown, we ask the international community to hold the government and leaders of the Islamic Republic accountable. We still demand justice and equal rights for all Iranians, and we especially demand the release of all prisoners of conscience; access to medical care for the injured; and an end to harassment and pressure on the protestors’ families. As Christians, we consider standing next to the oppressed and trying to establish justice not as an option but as our duty. In this regard, we pray and strive so that “justice roll[s] on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”. Organisations Article18 Hamgaam Council of Iranian Churches The Iranian Presbyterian Council in the Diaspora Pars Theological Centre Korpu Company Epiphany Arts & Culture Foundation ICC Global Shabake7 – TV Iran for Christ Ministries Eternal Life Ministries Imandaran Torch Ministries Jubal Band Ministries Churches Iranian Christian Fellowship (Chiswick, UK) Iranian Christian Fellowship (East London, UK) North London Iranian Church (London, UK) South London Iranian Church (London, UK) Brighton Iranian Church (Brighton, UK) St Apharhat Iranian Church (Manchester, UK) Liverpool Iranian Church (Liverpool, UK) Alpha and Omega Iranian Church (Hamburg, Germany) The Lion of Judah Church (Stuttgart, Germany) Aghos Iranian Church (Denmark) Iranian Church of Copenhagen (Denmark) Disciples Iranian Church (Toronto, Canada) Richmond Hill Iranian Church (Toronto, Canada) Vienna Iranian Church (Austria) Linz Iranian Church (Austria) New Life Iranian Church (Oslo, Norway) Göteborg Iranian Church (Sweden) Iranian Church of St Jose (California, USA) Iranian Church of Sacramento (California, USA) Iranian Church of Burbank (California, USA) Grace Iranian Church (Stockholm, Sweden) Grace Iranian Church (Västerås, Sweden) Iranian Pentecostal Church of Uppsala (Sweden) Light of the World Church (Vancouver, Canada) The Body of the Lord Church (Toronto, Canada) Elam Alive Church (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Church of the Kingdom of God (France) Life Spring Church (Oklahoma City, USA) Life Spring Church (Tulsa, USA) Iranian Church of Los Angeles (California, USA) Grace Church (LA, California, USA) Nousazan Church (LA, California, USA) The Holy Spirit Church (LA, California, USA) Iranian Church Beverly Hills (LA, California, USA) The Good Shepherd Church (Walnut Creek, USA) The Light of the World Church (Almere, Netherlands) Ottawa Persian-Speaking Church (Ottawa, Canada) God’s Way Church (Hamburg, Germany) The Father’s Movement Church (The Hague, Netherlands) Grace Church (Brisbane, Australia) Grace Church (Sydney, Australia) Grace Church (Melbourne, Australia) Adelaide Iranian Church (Adelaide, Australia) The New Beginning Church (Birmingham, UK) Persian Worshipers of Christ Church (California, USA) Omid Javedan Church (California, USA) Seven Church (Netherlands) Anchor of Hope Church (Tbilisi, Georgia) Persian Apostolic Church (Paris, France) Persian Church of Strasburg (Paris, France) The Crown Church (Essen, Germany) Parsian Church (Nevşehir, Turkey) The Good News Church (Antalia, Turkey) The Christ Church (Izmir, Turkey) Samsun Protestant Church (Samsun, Turkey) Persian-speaking Church of Trabzon (Trabzon, Turkey) Agape Church (Aksaray, Turkey) Agape Church (Amasya, Turkey) Agape Church (Sinop, Turkey) Agape Church (Ordu, Turkey) The Christ Ambassadors Church (Denizli, Turkey) 222 Church (Istanbul, Turkey) 222 Church (Ankara, Turkey) 222 Church (Çanakkale, Turkey) 222 Church (Yalova, Turkey) 222 Church (Balıkesir, Turkey) 222 Church (Afyon, Turkey) 222 Church (Denizli, Turkey) 222 Church (Eskişehir, Turkey) 222 Church Medresin (Turkey) 222 Church (Trabzon, Turkey) 222 Church (Kayseri, Turkey) 222 Church (Niğde, Turkey) 222 Church (Nevşehir, Turkey) 222 Church (Assen, Netherlands) 222 Church (Almere, Netherlands) 222 Church (Zwolle, Netherlands) 222 Church (Venlo, Netherlands) 222 Church (Wiesbaden, Germany) 222 Church (Munich, Germany) 222 Church (Düsseldorf, Germany) 222 Church (Cologne, Germany) 222 Church (Cologne, Germany) 222 Church (Stockholm, Sweden) 222 Church (Västerås, Sweden) 222 Church (Gothenburg, Sweden) Iranian Church of Malmo (Malmo, Sweden) Iranian Church of Helsinki (Helsinki, Finland) Iranian Church of Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark) Iranian Church of Rome (Rome, Italy) Iranian Church of Vienna (Vienna, Austria) Iranian Church of Yerevan (Yerevan, Armenia) Iranian Church of Vancouver (Vancouver, Canada) Bet-Eil Church (Turkey) The Royal Priesthood Church (Liverpool, UK) Iranian Baptist Church of South Germany (Germany) The Persian Church of the Saved (Kayseri, Turkey) Henderson Hills Persian Baptist Church (Oklahoma, USA) Evangelical Free Church Bochum (Germany) Freedom Church (Sparta, Turkey) Houston Iranian Church (Texas, USA) Churches of Iranian Teranom (Netherlands) The Justice Branch Church (LA, California, USA) Persian Church of the Kingdom of Heaven (Canada) Persian Church of Christ (Izmir, Turkey) Persian Smyrna Church (Gothenburg, Sweden) The Kingdom of God Church (France) The Central Persian Church (Stavanger, Norway) Bournemouth Persian-Speaking Fellowship (Bournemouth, UK) Iranian Presbyterian Fellowship (Bayern, Germany) The Iranian Christians Fellowship of Dallas (Texas, USA) Persian-speaking International Church of the Cross of Love (Norway) The Light of the World Church (Almere, Netherlands) Church Without Borders (Kayseri, Turkey) Sunnyvale Iranian Church (California, USA) Smyrna Church (Izmir, Turkey)
Iranian-Armenian pastor ‘pardoned’, released from prison 14 September 2023 News Joseph outside Evin Prison after his release last night. Iranian-Armenian pastor Joseph Shahbazian has been “pardoned” and released after just over a year in Tehran’s Evin Prison. The 59-year-old was last year given a 10-year sentence for holding church services in his home, though this sentence was reduced to two years in May. Joseph then applied for furlough, or to be released to serve the remainder of his sentence at home with an electronic tag. But early yesterday evening, the pastor was summoned to the Evin Prison office and informed that he had been “pardoned”. He was then given an hour to collect his things, and then finally set free from Evin Prison and able to return home to be with his family, including a nine-month-old granddaughter – Joseph’s first grandchild – born during his imprisonment. Joseph has suffered ill health during his 13 months in prison, but for several months was denied a medical appointment, and even afterwards was not told of his diagnosis. He recently discovered, by chance, that he was suspected to be suffering from a serious illness, though it is not known whether his “pardoning” relates to this fact. Joseph was eligible for conditional release, having served more than one-third of his reduced sentence, but did not apply for it, because a conditional release would in effect be pledging not to engage in the activities for which he was first arrested – namely, organising and hosting house-church meetings with Christian converts. Iranians from Armenian and Assyrian families are permitted a degree of freedom to worship – in their own languages – but churches that offered services in the Persian language have been systematically closed over the past 15 years. As a result, Iranians who wish to worship in the national language of Persian – whether converts, Armenians, or Assyrians – have no place to worship. This led to the rise of the so-called “house-churches” – private worship meetings in homes like Joseph’s. But these have been outlawed by the Iranian authorities, and referred to as “enemy groups”, and members systematically arrested and imprisoned on charges of “acting against national security”. Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, commented: “We thank God for Joseph’s release, but he should never have been imprisoned in the first place only for exercising his constitutional right to a place to worship. “But despite the continued mistreatment of Christians like Joseph, we celebrate this rare piece of good news after a constant barrage of sad reports recently of an upsurge of arrests involving more than 100 Christians in the past three months alone. “We hope the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom – shown in the ongoing ‘women, life freedom’ protests – will be realised and will finally put an end to injustices like these.”
‘Hearing the door knock, the fear that struck me on the day of my arrest came over me again’ 8 September 2023 Features It’s 10 years since Nasrin was arrested, but it has taken nearly all that time for her to recover and reach the point where she now feels able even to forgive those who mistreated her. Nasrin was one of six women converts to Christianity arrested in February 2013 and held for two weeks in a prison in the city of Isfahan, during which time they were held in torturous conditions, interrogated repeatedly, and threatened with rape and execution. On Nasrin’s very first night in detention, she recalls how “a young interrogator came up to me, and came very close to me and flirtatiously whispered into my ear”. “I felt very uncomfortable,” she explains. “His behaviour was disgusting to me, and I was very afraid that he would try to rape me.” That same night, a different interrogator kicked Nasrin’s chair so hard that she “banged hard against the wall”. “Then he kicked my hand and side again,” she says. “I was wearing a black coat, and his footprints were visible on my coat, and my hand was in great pain.” When, after a week in the ward belonging to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence the women were transferred to the women’s ward of the prison, Nasrin was forced to strip naked, despite protesting. “It was a very painful moment,” she says, “because my period had started, and no matter how much I insisted that I wasn’t in the right condition and couldn’t completely remove my clothes, the female officer didn’t agree with me.” The interrogators from the Ministry of Intelligence had even used the threat of being transferred to the women’s ward of the prison to try to get them to talk. “They said: ‘You’re safe here,’” Nasrin recalls. “‘In the women’s ward, the prisoners won’t have mercy on you, and will harass and rape you!’” Nasrin was finally released on bail after two weeks’ detention – one week with the Ministry of Intelligence, and the other in the women’s ward. Five months later, she, her friends, and her husband Ramin were each sentenced to a year in prison. But it wasn’t only the prison sentence; it was the pressure that continued to be exerted upon them in the days after their release. “Shahin Shahr’s Ministry of Intelligence kept us under strict control,” Nasrin says. “There was always a car near our apartment, checking on our movements. We were very afraid, and felt that our conversations were being listened to, so we didn’t feel comfortable or safe either at home or when we went out.” Meanwhile, even a simple knock on the door would bring back painful memories. “Usually, everyone who came to our home rang the doorbell,” Nasrin explains. “One day, my husband’s father knocked on the door, and I was very scared, because the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence had knocked on the door on the day of our arrest. Hearing the sound of the knock, the fear that had struck me that day of my arrest came over me again, and I was so scared that I shouted: ‘Ramin, don’t open the door!’ But Ramin said: ‘It’s my father! Don’t be afraid!’” A year later, Nasrin says she and her husband “felt we had no choice but to flee to Turkey and become refugees”. The couple’s lawyer had told them that if they left Iran, he would be able to overturn their prison sentence and return them the money they had had to submit for their bail – equivalent to nearly $20,000 in all. “But unfortunately,” Nasrin says, “after we had left Iran, he told us: ‘There is only one way for you to be acquitted. You must write a letter of repentance and declare that you are sorry and intend to return to Islam.’” Nasrin and Ramin refused, and “for this reason, our sentence was confirmed by the appeal court, and our bail amounts were confiscated”. Even though many years have now passed, Nasrin says “the mental and psychological impact of our detention remained with me until just two years ago. “Before that, even hearing a knock on the door would cause anxiety, and, having seen parents being separated from their children during our arrest, I was very afraid after becoming a mother about losing my child.” Meanwhile, Nasrin’s father and brother have both since passed away, and Nasrin says she was “very sad that I hadn’t been able to see them for years, nor even be by their side to share in my family’s grief and take part in the mourning ceremony”. For a long time, Nasrin says she “felt hatred and disgust towards those who had arrested us, and who had taken us away from our family, friends and country”, but recently she has learned to forgive. “Now I don’t feel hatred towards them,” she says, “as I reminded myself that persecution is part of the Christian faith and that I am not the only one – not the first, nor the last person – who will experience persecution. “And also, the agents don’t really know what they are doing. They just think they are serving Islam. One agent even apologised to us while he was arresting us, saying he had to do it because it was his job.” Nasrin and Ramin now live in the United States with their young son Ryan, and work for a Christian satellite TV channel. You can read Nasrin’s full Witness Statement here.
Nasrin Kiamarzi 8 September 2023 Witness Statements For a summary of Nasrin’s story, you can read our feature article here. Background 1. My name is Nasrin Kiamarzi and I was born in 1981 in Isfahan. I lived in a relatively well-off family, and grew up without any serious family issues. At that time, when most people didn’t have mobile phones, my father bought me one, and even a car. But despite all this, from the age of 16 onwards, I felt an inner emptiness and uneasiness. I went to university and obtained a diploma in accounting. I also worked as an IT consultant. But nothing could fill my inner void, and I felt empty. 2. Slowly, questions occupied my mind and I started to compare Islam and Christianity. I thought that only Armenians could be Christians, and for that reason I envied them. I went several times to some of the church buildings in Isfahan, but they only held services in the Armenian language, and only a few times a month. 3. But after a couple of months, an old friend of mine, named Leila Fooladi, who was a family friend and who had moved to Tehran with her family, came to Isfahan to meet me. She talked to me about Christianity, gave me a Bible, and promised me that I would find the answers to my questions in this book. 4. I had always wondered why God gave men more rights, and why the God introduced in Islam was so angry. Reading the Bible, I realised that Jesus respected both men and women – that there is no difference between us – and that God is a loving God. A month after Leila’s visit, in December 2003, I became a Christian, and after that my behaviour changed a lot and God gave joy and smile to a bad-tempered and grumpy girl. Christian activities in the house-church 5. My friend Leila had talked to several other people about Christianity before me, and they had also become Christians. We all lived in Fooladshahr, which is a city on the outskirts of Isfahan. We enthusiastically held or attended house-church meetings every week. Leila, who was a member of a house-church in Tehran, came from Tehran to Isfahan every week to teach us the principles of the Christian faith, and answer our questions. 6. A few months after I had become a Christian, the senior leader of our house-church, along with some other church leaders, came from Tehran to Isfahan to get to know us. After this meeting, I went to Tehran once a month and participated in the meetings of different house-church groups in Tehran. And then I would pass on the Christian teachings I learned there to my house-church in Fooladshahr. Both Leila and my house-church leader witnessed my spiritual growth and passion to be involved in Christian activities. 7. Meanwhile, our house-church members told their family and friends about Christ, and many people became Christians. In this way, the number of our church members increased greatly. In addition to Fooladshahr, we had house-churches in [the nearby cities of] Zarrin Shahr, Najafabad, Shahin Shahr and Isfahan, as well as several villages, like Vila Shahr. I went to Tehran once every two weeks to receive more training and teaching, and to be more equipped to lead the groups. 8. Two years after I became a Christian, I was invited for the first time by my church to attend a Christian educational conference abroad. The overseer of our house-churches was there, a pastor who gave us Christian teachings in these conferences, and in 2010 he baptised me. 9. In 2007, one of the members of the group I led in Shahin Shahr introduced some friends to our church. They had become Christians about two to three years before, but they weren’t connected to any house-church. The name of one of them was Ramin Bakhtiarvand, and two years later, in March 2009, we got married. Arrest 10. Four years later, on 20 February 2013, a Wednesday, the senior leader of our house-church, along with several other leaders, came to Isfahan from Tehran, and a meeting was held at our home in Shahin Shahr. There were about 13 of us. Our apartment was on the top floor of a three-storey building, which had five apartments in all. My husband’s father, mother, sister and brother lived on the first floor. 11. It was 7.30 or 8 in the evening, and about 10 to 15 minutes had passed since the beginning of the meeting when someone knocked on the door of our apartment. Ramin looked through the spyhole, and saw several men, some of whom had weapons. Ramin realised that there were security agents, but he didn’t react; he just told the church leader that a “stranger” was at the door. And the leader, who I think understood what he meant and knew we couldn’t do anything about it, told Ramin to open the door. 12. As soon as the door was opened, about seven male agents and one female agent entered the apartment. They said in a loud voice: “No-one moves! Don’t touch anything! And you aren’t allowed to talk to each other! One of the other members of our group, whose name was Arash, said to them: “Do you have a warrant to enter the apartment?” One of the agents, who didn’t like Arash’s question, said: “We ourselves are the warrant!” Another agent opened his coat several times to show Arash his gun, to both threaten him and create fear. 13. One agent had a video camera, and filmed everything. He asked each and every one of us to introduce ourselves in front of the camera, and to say our place of residence. The agents confiscated everyone’s mobile phones, and searched the whole apartment and all our belongings. We had about 350 books, of which 300 belonged to the house-churches and were related to Christianity. But they even took our other books. And in addition to books, they also seized identification documents, a computer, a printer, and some cash. The cash was in a small box, and one of the agents asked: “Do the money, computer and printer belong to you, or to the church?” My husband and I honestly answered that they belonged to the church. So they confiscated them. 14. Three children were present at the meeting, with their parents: Bita and Amir’s daughter Sarina, who was almost seven years old; Maryam and Reza’s son Danial, who was three years old; and Leila and Peyman’s daughter Armita, who was less than two years old. The agents created fear with their behaviour, tone and words, and the children were the most scared. 15. One of the agents went with Bita to her home, and searched her whole place and confiscated everything related to Christianity. Then, even though Bita had two children, they took her to prison. Some agents also went with Arina, whose full name is Fatemeh Zarei, to her home, and after confiscating a number of personal items related to her Christian faith, took her to prison as well. 16. In addition, the agents went to Maryam and Reza’s home that night, and confiscated their Christian belongings. But Maryam, because she had a small child, wasn’t taken to prison. But she was later interrogated at the offices of the Ministry of Intelligence in Shahin Shahr. 17. Armita, the daughter of Leila and Peyman, had fallen ill that night, and had a high fever. For this reason, the agents allowed them to take Armita to the doctor, but then they went back with them to their home in Sepahan Shahr and confiscated everything related to Christianity. 18. It seemed the agents had been monitoring us for a long time. They asked us that night: “Where is Samira?” And Samira is the real name of Leila’s sister Atena, who had a house-church meeting that evening with another group. One of our church members was supposed to pick her up later so that she could join our meeting. After the agents discovered that Atena wasn’t with us, they later summoned her, and she went to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan with Peyman three days later, on Saturday 23 February 2013, and they were arrested. Leila was also interrogated several times in the Shahin Shahr courthouse. 19. The search of our home finished at around 12.30am the following morning, and the agents handcuffed Ramin, me, and six others, and put us all in a van. One of the agents told Ramin and me: “Take everything you need with you, because you’ll be in the detention centre for a few days.” My husband and I were shocked, and couldn’t believe that we were going to be in detention for a few days. We told each other that we hadn’t anything to warrant being detained for a few days. That’s why we didn’t take anything with us. Before getting into the van, my husband Ramin asked one of the agents to let him say goodbye to his mother and comfort her, because she had fainted earlier when she had seen our situation. But they wouldn’t allow it. 20. We later found out that the agents had gone to the apartment of my husband’s family at the same time, and interrogated them. My husband’s sister had just taken a shower and was wearing a towel when the agents arrived. Her father had travelled to another city for business and wasn’t at home, but the agents interrogated her in her towel, and wouldn’t allow her to put on some clothes. Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan 21. They took us to Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. We entered the prison yard in the van, then got out and entered the building called “Alef-Ta”, which is the detention centre of the Ministry of Intelligence. 22. Each of us was told to sit on a chair with a small table attached to it. They sat me down in front of Arina, with Sahar behind her. Some of the others were taken to another room on the second floor. We were given a form to fill out, with questions about our personal details. 23. One of the interrogators, who introduced himself as “Ghasemi” and was about 50-60 years old, came up to me and said: “Why aren’t you writing anything?” I said: “I have the right not to write anything now, and to have a lawyer.” He kicked my chair, and I hit hard against the wall. He cursed me and used filthy language, and told me: “You are mistaken that you have this right; we don’t have such ridiculous games here. You should write!” And he kicked my hand and side again. I was wearing a black coat, and his footprints were visible on my coat. My hand was in great pain. 24. Another interrogator came in, and said: “Why aren’t you writing?” I said: “I’m not writing anything! It seems they are telling the truth when they say you torture people here!” He said: “No! It’s not like that.” I said: “Your colleague’s shoe-print is on my hand and my coat. My hand hurts a lot and I can’t write anything.” He said: “You all have to answer the questions. If even one of you doesn’t answer, none of you will be released.” 25. So I answered the questions that wouldn’t endanger other church members, but I didn’t give the right answers to some of the other questions. I was trying to keep some sensitive issues out of their sight. But after realising what I was doing, they mocked me, saying: “You think we’re stupid!” 26. That night, a young interrogator came up to me and came very close to me and flirtatiously whispered softly into my ear: “I know your nickname is Sadaf. Now, dear Sadaf, write whatever you know.” Then he went and brought me a glass of tea, and said: “Tell me whatever you need, and I’ll provide it. If I go, other interrogators won’t deal with you like me.” I felt very uncomfortable. His behaviour was disgusting to me, and I was very afraid that he would try to rape me. I would have preferred to have had the same interrogator as before, who had beaten me, rather than this person. “Please step back a bit, because I’m feeling uncomfortable,” I told him. He moved away from me, and after a few minutes he left. 27. Then I was taken into another room by a prisoner officer. Ghasemi, who was there, told me: “Now that you haven’t given correct and honest answers to the questions, you can stay in this room so that we can take care of you.” I was very scared of what they were going to do to me. I fell asleep on the chair there, due to the shock and my exhaustion. I woke up at the sound of the door opening – it was 7am – and they took me to a cell where Arina was already waiting. Three days later, Atena joined us in that same cell. 28. Our cell was very dirty. There was a hatch in the door, through which the meals were given to us. We were each given three blankets: one for a mattress, another for a blanket, and the third as a pillow. The blankets were very rough and dirty, and a dirty and thin carpet was on the floor. There was also a TV and a refrigerator that didn’t work. 29. There was a shower hose above the toilet, and there was no toilet door, and only a short wall separated it from the rest of the cell. We used to go to the toilet with fear and trembling, because the guards would open the door suddenly, without any warning. There were no female officers in Alef-Ta ward, so when one of us suddenly got her period, we had to shyly ask a male officer for sanitary napkins. Interrogations 30. We were taken for interrogations at around 10pm, then returned to the cell between 5.30 and 6pm. My interrogations were mostly conducted by Ghasemi and that young interrogator who spoke very obscenely. They often asked repeated questions to look for contradictions in our answers. As there were many of us, they compared our answers. During the interrogations, it became clear that they had had us under surveillance for some time. 31. Unfortunately, due to the photographs on one of the cameras of one of our church members, they had access to photos of many of our members, and printed them all. In one of the interrogations, they showed me about 50 photos, and wanted me to identify everyone. I denied knowing anyone, but one of them was even my husband’s sister, and when I denied knowing her, the interrogator got angry and said: “You don’t know your husband’s sister?” I said: “The image isn’t clear, so I can’t really see who it is.” I was very tired and disorientated, and with a few pictures left, without thinking, I said: “Oh!” And the interrogator realised that I must have recognised one of the people in the photos. But no matter how much he threatened me, I wouldn’t tell him anyone’s name. 32. Among the questions the interrogators asked were: “What was taught in seminars abroad?” And “Write the names and addresses of the Christians who were members of the churches you served.” But I replied: “I don’t remember their addresses. I didn’t memorise them.” 33. Two or three days after my arrest, at 2.30 in the morning, I was taken to a room in which there was a prosecutor named Mr Aghili. “I heard you Christians pray and talk like turkeys!” he mocked me. He meant speaking in tongues. “Now tell me what you are praying for!” I said: “For various issues, such as people’s problems and diseases, and things like that.” The prosecutor said to me: “Do you know that your sentence is death?” I knew he was lying and just trying to scare me, because we hadn’t done anything to deserve death. I said: “I know my sentence isn’t death, and the accusations you made against us – such as ‘acting against national security’ and ‘cooperation with opposition groups and Zionist churches’ – are false and untrue.” 34. On the third day of my detention, they allowed me to call my sister, and said: “You are only allowed to say that you are fine.” I told my sister that I was fine, and that I was being detained in Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan. The jailer immediately took the phone from me and hung up. My sister had come to Dastgerd Prison several times and every time had been told: “Nasrin Kiamarzi’s name is not registered in the system here.” I found out later that as long as a detainee is in the “Alef-Ta” ward, their name isn’t registered in the system. On the fifth day of my detention, they allowed me to call my family again. Women’s ward 35. We were in Alef-Ta for a week. Arina, Atena and I were in one cell, and Bita, Sahar and Sara were in the cell next to us. After a week, we were taken to the women’s ward of the prison. When I found out we were to be transferred there, I was very scared, because the interrogators had used the transfer to this ward as a threat to force us to answer their questions. They said: “You’re safe here. In the women’s ward, the prisoners won’t have mercy on you, and will harass and rape you!” 36. When we entered the women’s ward, the officers told us to take off all our clothes, so they could search us. It was a very painful moment, because my period had started while I was in Alef-Ta, and no matter how much I insisted that I wasn’t in the right condition and couldn’t completely remove my clothes, the female officer didn’t agree with me. With rude behaviour and insulting words, she said: “Don’t mess around! Do what I tell you!” 37. They said to all of us: “Since you came from Alef-Ta and it’s very dirty there, you should wash all your clothes and then enter the general ward.” So we showered in the cold winter weather, and washed our clothes by hand, then spread them out in the yard to dry. We had to stand by our clothes to make sure that no-one took them. The environment was very unsafe; right in front of our eyes, one of the prisoners stole our socks. In addition, we had to wear the clothes of previous prisoners until ours were dry. One of the other prisoners took pity on us, and said: “There is a hot-water pipe in the women’s cell, where you can spread your clothes to help them dry.” 38. Upon arrival, they also checked our hair. Alef-Ta was a very dirty environment, and Sara’s hair had become infested with lice. So her hair was cut off to a large extent, and she was taken to “quarantine” [an area of the prison where prisoners are taken before they are transferred or released]. The rest of us were taken to one of the women’s ward rooms. All around that room were the beds of other prisoners, and we had to sleep on the floor. We lay down together, and held each other’s hands and prayed. The prisoner who was seen as the “mother” of the ward, whose name was Mrs Golkar, said: “Don’t be afraid. All the halls have cameras, and the light in the corridor is always on.” Quarantine 39. The next day, after we’d had breakfast, we were transferred to the “quarantine” section, and all six of us were together again. In quarantine, there was a 12-square-metre carpet on the floor, the weather was very cold, and the heating was broken. The quarantine room had a toilet and two showers. The toilet had a very unpleasant smell, like something rotting. There was also a large air-conditioning unit, which was constantly on, and made a terrible noise. 40. They brought many prisoners into quarantine. Some of them were addicted to drugs, and were in a very bad physical and mental condition. We six slept next to each other, and the space was so small that we had to sleep on our sides and at an angle. Of course, both in Alef-Ta and quarantine, the light was always on, so I couldn’t sleep easily, and it was very annoying. 41. During our time in quarantine, they took us for interrogations several times, and allowed me to contact my family twice. The interrogations in quarantine happened during the day, and were shorter, lasting around two to three hours. 42. Once, in the interrogation room, I heard Bita’s cries, and I was very upset and wanted to know whether the interrogators were beating her. So I decided to pretend to be ill and faint, and I threw myself off my chair. The interrogator was very scared, and called Sahar to take me out for some fresh air. Sahar was terrified, but I whispered to her that I was only pretending and just wanted to know if they were torturing Bita. Sahar said: “No, they aren’t torturing her. I think they just called her brother and threatened him as well.” 43. They told us: “You have no right to communicate with each other after your release.” We protested: “We were friends before we became Christians and won’t do any more Christian activities together. You’re watching us anyway, so you’ll soon find out what we do and don’t do.” Temporary release 44. I was in quarantine for a week. Then Prosecutor Aghili issued a 20 million toman [approx. $5,000] bail for me, and a 50 million toman [approx. $12,500] bail for Ramin. The first of the women to be released was Bita, and the last was Atena. When I was finally released, after two weeks’ detention, my husband’s family said Ramin would be released half an hour later, and both of us were released that same day. 45. Our first court hearing was held on 19 June 2013, in the first branch of the general court of the judiciary in Shahin Shahr. The judge was Mr [Jahanbakhsh] Ahmadi. Our accusations, according to the official document, were: “Propaganda against the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran in favour of groups or organisations opposed to the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and “Membership of groups opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran by forming groups and recruiting members, and coordinating with foreign elements in relation to the propagation of evangelical Christianity and Zionism, and the formation of house-churches.” In addition to this, due to what they considered “non-observance of Islamic affairs”, they added the charge of “illegitimate relationships, without adultery” because we had been together with members of the opposite sex who weren’t colleagues or family members, and the women had attended these meetings without headscarves. 46. On 18 July 2013, the judge issued a verdict and sentenced us to one year each in prison, and two years’ ban on travelling abroad. He also sentenced us women to 40 lashes each, and the men to 60 lashes, due to our “illegitimate relationships”. 47. In the second session at the appeal court, on 18 September 2013, our lawyer, Mr Mehdi Jahanbakhsh Harandi, explained: “This group is Christian and, according to their beliefs, they didn’t wear hijab.” Therefore, the charge of “illicit relations without adultery” was nullified. Despite this, they never returned any of our belongings, whether or not they were related to the Christian faith, nor any of the things that belonged to our churches. Interrogation after release 48. A month after our release, Ramin and I were summoned to a villa that belonged to the Ministry of Intelligence but of course had no sign outside to signify this. There, Interrogator Ghasemi gave us a piece of paper to sign, on which it was written: “I will not talk to anyone about Christianity from now on, and I will repent and return to the religion of Islam.” I said: “I won’t sign this paper.” Ghasemi said: “You argue a lot! Sign it, or we’ll take you to prison again!” So I wrote on the paper: “I do not regret at all that I became a Christian, and even if something bad happens to me and I have to pay a fine, I will not turn away from Christianity in any way. I just pledge not to talk to anyone about Christianity while I live in Iran.” 49. Shahin Shahr’s Ministry of Intelligence kept us under strict control. There was always a car near our apartment, checking on our movements. We were very afraid, and felt that our conversations were being listened to, so we didn’t feel comfortable or safe either at home or when we went out. 50. Usually, everyone who came to our home rang the doorbell. One day, my husband’s father knocked on the door, and I was very scared, because the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence had knocked on the door on the day of our arrest. Hearing the sound of the knock, the fear that had struck me that day of my arrest came over me again, and I was so scared that I shouted: “Ramin, don’t open the door!” But Ramin said: “It’s my father! Don’t be afraid!” 51. We stayed in contact with the other people who had been arrested, and did our best to find out about the other members of our house-church who had not been arrested. But due to the intense and constant control of the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, we slowly realised that we had become like useless figures, and couldn’t carry out any church activities anymore. Leaving Iran 52. So in September 2014, we felt we had no choice but to leave for Turkey and become refugees. Our lawyer, Mr Mehdi Jahanbakhsh Harandi, promised us: “If you leave Iran, I can defend you and overturn your one-year prison sentence, and not only will you be acquitted, but your bail amounts will also be released.” But unfortunately, after we had left Iran, he told us: “There is only one way for you to be acquitted. You must write a letter of repentance and declare that you are sorry and intend to return to Islam.” We said: “We already made clear both to our interrogators and to you that we’ll never return to Islam, and we don’t regret becoming Christians.” For this reason, our sentence was confirmed by the appeal court, and our bail amounts were confiscated. 53. My husband and I were refugees in Turkey for two years, then we went to the US. In 2017 we had a baby, Ryan, and we have also started working with a Christian TV channel. But the mental and psychological impact of our detention remained with me until just two years ago, when I took some time to think more about my mental health and made a point of frequently reminding myself that I was in a safe country. Before that, even hearing a knock on the door would cause anxiety and, having seen parents being separated from their children during our arrest, I was very afraid after becoming a mother about losing my child. My father and brother died after we moved to the States, and I was very sad that I hadn’t been able to see them for years, nor even be by their side to share in my family’s grief and take part in the mourning ceremony. Inside, I felt hatred and disgust towards those who had arrested us, and who had taken us away from our family, friends and country. But now I don’t feel hatred towards them, as I reminded myself that persecution is part of the Christian faith and that I am not the only one – not the first, nor the last – who will experience persecution, and also that the agents don’t really know what they are doing, and just think they are serving Islam. One agent even apologised to us while he was arresting us, saying he had to do it because it was his job.
Challenges remain despite UK’s fast-tracking of Iranian asylum-seekers 23 August 2023 Analysis The director of an organisation that supports refugees in the UK, including Iranian Christians, has spoken to Article18 about the challenges they continue to face, despite Iran recently being added to the list of countries of origin whose asylum claims are fast-tracked. Maria Wilby (Photo: RAMA) Maria Wilby, who runs Colchester-based Refugee, Asylum seeker & Migrant Action (RAMA), said the claims of around half of all Iranian asylum-seekers centre on their professed conversion to Christianity. But even though the UK’s official guidelines recognise that Iranian Christians face a “real risk” of persecution, Ms Wilby said asylum claims involving a purported religious conversion often prove more complicated. “They’re harder than some other claims because the proof is much more related to how you live your life now, whereas for people who are fleeing because of war, that’s not so relevant,” she explained. “There’s the same kind of burden of evidence as with LGBTQ+ clients. You have to prove that you’re members of groups here in the UK; you have to prove that you might also have been in your own country, which obviously is largely impossible. “And say you’re from Iran, and you’re LGBTQ+, you have 36% chance of success in your first claim, compared to 86% chance for other claims. And there’s a similar figure for if you’re basing it on religion, so there’s less chance than if you were Muslim from that country.” Ms Wilby said the claims of Iranian Christian asylum-seekers are “very much about proving a continuing faith”, and claimants receive “quite an interrogation”. “They will test you absolutely in your interview on your Bible knowledge,” she said. “They make it very, very clear that they don’t take your word for it. You actually will be asked, ‘Who is Christ?’ What were the names of the disciples? Can you tell me a verse? Can you point me to which part of the Bible I might find this part?’ It’s quite an interrogation, just around Christianity in general, and then quite a lot around their current practices. Are they attending church? Can they have somebody verify that? What does their faith mean in their day to day life?” One factor that has helped Iranian Christians in their claims, Ms Wilby said, is the testimony of local church leaders or members, especially those who have taken the trouble to go to court to testify in person. “We had a client recently who was able to get his [refugee] status because the pastor actually went to court for him and stood as a face to face witness,” she explained. “Any pastor who’s a decent person will write you a letter, but it probably doesn’t mean an awful lot; whereas somebody coming to London, choosing to stay overnight and be there and support you, is quite different.” “They’re experts in their field, aren’t they?” Ms Wilby added, though as Article18 has reported previously, not every judge shares that opinion. And even though Iran has now been added to the fast-track list – due to the high percentage of claims accepted – an unfortunate consequence, Ms Wilby explained, is that many asylum-seekers find that any support they were receiving is then swiftly removed. “It’s tragic,” she said, “because what is happening is that we are getting between five and eight people a week who are getting their [refugee] status and then becoming homeless and destitute, because their letters are coming through with only a week’s notice now that they have to be out of their accommodation. Embed from Getty Images “You need a minimum of five weeks to get your Universal Credit [financial support]; you may not have had your BRP [document] already to prove that you have the right to Universal Credit; or worse still, you get it and it’s got a mistake on it, so you have to send it back, and then it could be a couple of months before you get it again in the right way. And so you’re left homeless, without any benefits, your asylum support has stopped, and there is no move on accommodation at all.” And while RAMA continues to try to support refugees even after their claims are processed, the reality, RAMA caseworker Colm McDonald told Article18, is that their resources are finite. “It is very difficult, to be honest,” he said. “Often our best advice is to ask them if they’ve got friends’ sofas they can sleep on, because the council won’t provide accommodation unless you’re a priority, or what they deem to be a priority, which is vulnerable people with children or illnesses.” “Or if you’ve had a successful NRM conclusive grounds decision under trafficking or modern slavery, that might count,” Ms Wilby added. “If you’ve got a mental health diagnosis or physical health diagnosis, that might help. But even then it is a battle every single time. We’ve had people leaving hospital who have been in for months and are clearly too unwell to be on the streets, and even then it’s been a battle. “So it is very difficult. We are just getting hopefully a new partnership with our local council, where they’re prepared to put a little bit of money in for something creative, which will hopefully help the most vulnerable among those people. But we’ll never be able to help the numbers that are coming through now; not all of them. “We do everything from rooms for refugees; we have volunteers who’ve taken people in; we’ve got lovely relationships with all sorts of people who will provide emergency support, but it’s not really working.” One person who has benefitted from RAMA’s support is Iranian Christian convert Mehdi Jalalaghdamian, whose talent as a rug-maker was noticed during a RAMA visit to a local art gallery in 2021. A year later, Mehdi’s rugs were themselves being displayed in the gallery, as Article18 reported earlier this month, but he is still waiting on a final decision in his case. Mehdi at the launch of his exhibition (Photo: Firstsite) And while there are hopes that Mehdi’s rugs may even go on to be displayed at a national museum, Ms Wilby says that Mehdi’s story is not only a “good news” story. “It’s a wonderful thing that he has done, and even more so when you understand that he is still trapped in the asylum system at a frightening time in history, where human rights breaches are at an all-time high, and the hostile environment policy of our current government is bringing many clients to their knees,” she said. “Good news stories are always needed, but I would love to think we could take this opportunity to raise some of the dreadful issues facing people like Mehdi – and what talent is being wasted. “And he still doesn’t feel that sense of freedom and liberty that that we had hoped he would feel. And that’s because he’s not a free man; until he gets his decision he’s not a free man. He is a second-status person, and that’s how the Home Office wants it to be. And they spend an awful lot of time and energy making sure that everybody’s very, very clear about that.” The UK is currently in the process of introducing new legislation – the so-called ‘Illegal Migration Act’ – to further clamp down on the influx of asylum-seekers arriving via the English Channel, many of whom end up being supported by organisations like RAMA. And Ms Wilby warned: “If the Illegal Migration Bill goes through, then nobody will be a legal asylum-seeker. There won’t be any. They’ll all be illegal migrants.” Ms Wilby is also critical of the tendency to portray so-called “economic migrants” as less deserving of help, saying: “If you were in the UK, and you had nothing to feed your children or grandchildren, what would you do? You’d go to the next country and ask them to feed them. And that’s what it means to be an economic migrant. It’s not about, ‘Oh, I’ve got a nice car, but I want a nicer car.’ These are people who are literally starving, and feel so disadvantaged that they think that the next generation will also be equally disadvantaged. And of course then you try and move. “And back in the day, it used to be that if you had a child in another country, they would basically be a native of that country. We’ve changed the rules to mean that migration and borders grow and grow. And actually, we’ve created this system – all of us have created this system by standing by and letting it happen – and it’s not right. If I believed in God, God certainly didn’t intend there to be borders. Nobody would. Why would you? It’s an unnatural concept. We are one world, and we should share it.”