‘Hold Iran accountable for religious freedom abuses’ – Dabrina Bet-Tamraz at UN 24 September 2019 News The daughter of an Iranian-Assyrian pastor facing ten years in prison for his Christian activities has called on the international community to “hold Iran accountable” and prioritise the “foundational human right” of religious freedom. “Every person has the right to live out their faith in safety, peace and dignity,” Dabrina Bet-Tamraz said yesterday at the ‘Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom’ event in New York, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Dabrina spoke of the arrest of her father at a Christmas gathering at their family home in December 2014, and his subsequent detention for 65 days in solitary confinement. “They shaved his head to humiliate him, treated him like a terrorist, a criminal,” she said. “He was kept in solitary confinement for 65 days and was charged with ‘conducting evangelism and ‘illegal house-church activities’, among other false charges that amounted to ‘acting against national security’.” He was later sentenced to ten years in prison – a sentence that awaiting the judgment of a court of appeal. Dabrina then explained how her brother, Ramiel, was arrested and sentenced to four months in prison – a sentence that he, too, is appealing. And then Dabrina explained how in 2017 her mother, Shamiram, was arrested and interrogated “for hours”, then sentenced to five years in prison. Shamiram’s appeal is also outstanding. Dabrina said that before she fled Iran, she “endured similar experiences”, being “detained and held in a men’s detention centre without the presence of any female officers” and “forced to provide names of our church leaders and information of their activities”. But she said that while she had managed to escape, “I can’t forget those I left behind – my family and the innocent people serving harsh sentences for the peaceful practice of their faith”. She noted that since 2018 more than 200 Christians have been arrested and are “either now in prison, serving lengthy prison sentences, or awaiting trials”. “Christians in Iran are no politicians or activists of some sort – including my family,” she said. “They’re simply believers, attending prayer and worship gatherings.” In her concluding remarks, Dabrina noted that members of other minority faiths, such as Baha’is, Sunni Muslims and Sufis also “face discrimination and severe restrictions to their freedom of religion”. “I implore the international community gathered here to hold Iran accountable for its mistreatment of religious freedom and prioritise religious freedom as a foundational human right for all,” she concluded. “Every person has the right to live out their faith in safety, peace and dignity.”
Tehran withdraws tax exemption from churches, synagogues 23 September 2019 News Embed from Getty Images Churches and synagogues in Tehran are no longer tax exempt, according to a report from Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News. The Assyrian representative to the Iranian parliament, Yonathan Betkolia, criticised the move, saying churches and synagogues should be afforded the same rights as mosques, including subsidies for water, gas and electricity. Currently the development only affects churches and synagogues under the jurisdiction of Tehran City Council, but it is believed highly likely that it will be rolled out across the rest of the country in due course. The news comes as the state-backed Press TV highlighted the restoration of an Armenian church in Tehran. However, Article18’s Advocacy Director, Mansour Borji, noted that the report failed to mention that “more churches have been demolished, confiscated or rendered ‘non-operational’ since the Islamic revolution than have been ‘restored’”. Earlier this year, Article18 reported on the forced closure of an Assyrian church in Tabriz, northwestern Iran. That church had itself been previously “confiscated” by Revolutionary Court order in 2011, as Mr Borji explained at the time: “Many churches owned by Protestants have been confiscated in Iran. In most cases the government has been unable to repurpose them, especially if they were listed. So they typically remain as empty buildings, often neglected, and turn into ruins before being demolished, as was the case with the church in Kerman.” Christians from Iran’s historic Assyrian and Armenian communities are a recognised minority, who are usually able to freely practise their faith, providing they don’t open their doors to Muslim-born Iranians by holding services in Persian. But if they are perceived to have stepped out of line, these Christians can face criminal charges, as happened with the Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his leadership of an underground “house church”. Such “house churches” have mushroomed in Iran over the past few decades, as more and more Iranians have converted to Christianity. There are believed to be well in excess of 500,000 Christian converts in Iran, worshipping in these secret churches. But when they are discovered, converts face charges of “acting against national security” and prison sentences of up to 10 years.
European Parliament criticises Iran’s use of ‘national security’ laws 20 September 2019 News Embed from Getty Images The European Parliament has called on Iran to “amend” the national-security crime laws “regularly used to prosecute human rights defenders, journalists, environmental and trade union activists and members of religious and ethnic minorities”. In a resolution passed yesterday on the human rights situation in Iran, the European Parliament says Iran’s national-security laws “contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Iran”, which it says Iran should implement in a “full” and “unreserved” way. The European Parliament also calls on Iran to “cooperate” with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, “including by allowing him to enter the country”. Its resolution, which focuses primarily on the rights of protesters, human rights defenders and dual nationals, highlights Mr Rehman’s reports of September 2018, January 2019 and July 2019, the last of which focused strongly on Iran’s failure to uphold religious freedom. Mr Rehman’s July report called on Iran to “refrain from targeting members of recognized and non-recognized religious minorities with national security-related charges”, to “refrain from persecuting peaceful religious gatherings in private homes and other premises, refrain from convicting religious leaders and cease the monitoring of citizens on account of their religious identity”,and to “end the criminalisation of the peaceful expression of faith”. As Article18 has reported, Iran frequently charges active Christians – particularly converts from a Muslim background – with “actions against national security”. Such charges often result in lengthy sentences of up to ten years in prison, as in the case of Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz and three Christian converts who attended church services at his home. Mr Rehman’s latest report also called for due process and fair-trial guarantees, “including access to a lawyer of their choosing” to be afforded to all persons accused of a crime – a call echoed in the European Parliament resolution. Article18 reported recently on the case of five Christian converts whose bail amounts were increased tenfold after they insisted on choosing their own lawyer. The European Parliament resolution calls for an amendment to Article 48 of the Iranian Criminal Procedure Law, which it says is being used “to restrict detainees’ access to legal counsel of their own choice and to deny them consular assistance”. The resolution adds that there are “no independent mechanisms for ensuring accountability within the judiciary”. The European Parliament is also critical of Iran’s treatment of its prisoners, including the “continuous practice of intentionally denying medical care to prisoners”, with Tehran’s Evin Prison singled out for its “degrading” and “inhumane” conditions. Several Christians are currently incarcerated in Evin Prison, including Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and three members of his Rasht church, and Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, all of whom are serving ten-year sentences. Nasser, who is 20 months into his sentence, has complained at being denied medical care during his time in prison. The European Parliament resolution also “deplores” the “systematic torture in Iranian prisons”; calls for the “immediate cessation of all forms of torture and ill-treatment of all detainees”; and “condemns the practice of denying access to phone calls and family visits for detainees”. The resolution concludes by calling on the EU to “continue raising human rights concerns with the Iranian authorities in bilateral and multilateral fora and to use all planned engagements with the Iranian authorities for that purpose”.
Ebrahim Firouzi and Sevada Aghasar 19 September 2019 Case Studies (Last updated: September 2020) Referenced by Article18, HRANA, World Watch Monitor Summary Sevada Aghasar, an Iranian-Armenian Christian, and Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert, were arrested on 21 August 2013, just a week before Ebrahim was due to be summoned to serve a one-year jail sentence. Ebrahim was due for release on 13 January 2015, but on 8 March 2015 he was re-tried on new charges of “acting against national security by gathering and collusion”. On 20 April 2015 he was sentenced to an additional five years in prison. One week later, Sevada received the same sentence. Their appeals were finally rejected in February and March 2017. Case in full On 21 August 2013, Sevada Aghasar, an Iranian-Armenian Christian, and Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian convert, were arrested during a raid by plain-clothed security officers at their friend Masoud Mirzaei’s place of work. All three men were taken to an unknown location, while Masoud’s home was raided and personal possessions confiscated. Masoud was then released, but Ebrahim and Sevada were detained. The arrests took place just a week before Ebrahim was due to be summoned to serve a one-year jail sentence he had received on 13 July. Ebrahim was also sentenced to two years in exile in the remote city of Sarbaz, in Sistan-Balochestan province. The official charges against him were “propaganda against the regime by establishing and organising Christian gatherings” and “having contacts with anti-revolutionary networks outside Iran”. Ebrahim had earlier been arrested on 7 March in Robat Karim, a city near Tehran.He was taken to Evin Prison and kept in solitary confinement for 10 days while being interrogated for his evangelistic activities. He was then released on bail on 29 April after paying IRR 300,000,000 (around $10,500). Ebrahim was due for release on 13 January 2015, but on 8 March 2015 he was re-tried on new charges of “acting against national security by gathering and collusion”. On 20 April 2015 he was sentenced to an additional five years in prison. One week later, Sevada received the same sentence. Their appeals were finally rejected in February and March 2017. A previous hearing had been due to take place on 13 July 2016, but it was postponed after one of the judges failed to appear. Ebrahim had refused to attend that hearing, due to his ill health, but he was beaten and then forcibly taken to the court, only to discover the hearing was to be postponed. In June 2015, Ebrahim went on hunger strike to protest against being held in a ward with non-political prisoners. After five days, he ended his hunger strike when the officials agreed to improve the conditions of his imprisonment. In July 2016, Ebrahim’s mother pleaded for her son’s release, saying she needed help due to her worsening health and recent loss of sight. However, her request was rejected and in December 2018 she died and was buried without her son being able to see her or attend her funeral. Ebrahim previously spent 154 days in Karaj’s Ghezelhesar Prison in 2011. During his detention, following his arrest on 18 January, he was interrogated about his Christian activities and charged with“propaganda against the regime”, “insulting the sacred” (blasphemy) and “acting against national security”. Sevada was twice given a week’s leave from prison – first in May 2018, and then in April 2019, when he sang in his church choir on Easter Sunday, as was his custom before his imprisonment. He also celebrated his 30th birthday while on leave. On 21 July 2019, Sevada was granted “conditional release” from prison after serving half of his five-year sentence. He will not have to return providing he upholds the conditions of his release, which includes a prohibition from evangelism. Ebrahim was released from prison at the end of his sentence on 28 October 2019, but just two weeks later he begun his two-year term in exile in the remote southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. On 11 March 2020, Ebrahim’s exile was extended by 11 months following an “unauthorised” leave of absence. In November 2020, Ebrahim was threatened with new charges of “insulting the sacred”, which carries a maximum five-year custodial sentence, and “propaganda against the state through promoting the Christian faith”, which can be punished with up to a year in prison, brought by intelligence agents in his location of exile. However, the local prosecutor dismissed the claims after just 10 minutes. Authorisation Article18 was authorised by Ebrahim and Sevada to conduct advocacy on their behalf. The charges against them are entirely unfounded and void of any legal basis. They are instead a reflection of the Islamic Republic’s security-oriented approach towards religious minorities. Neither of them have committed any crime, nor are they seeking to act in any way against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The violations against their religious freedom and human rights is solely a result of exercising their Christian faith. Recommendations Article18 petitions the international community to: Urge the Iranian Government to uphold its obligations under its own constitution and international law, including provisions for freedom of religion or belief contained within the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party. Call for the immediate acquittal and release from exile of Ebrahim. Call for the swift application of due process in the cases of all who are detained and/or awaiting charges, trials, sentences or appeal hearings on account of their Christian faith and activities. Support Professor Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, in monitoring Iran’s compliance with international human rights standards, including freedom of religion or belief. Background There has been a significant increase in human rights violations in Iran in recent years, and particularly in the persecution of religious minorities, principally of Christians from the Iranian “house church” movement. Ethnic Christian communities (Assyrian and Armenian) are permitted a degree of freedom to worship, although it is illegal for these churches to conduct services in Farsi (the national language of Iran and the common language of converts). Bibles and other Christian literature are also illegal in Farsi and those found in possession of such materials, especially in sufficient quantities for distribution, can expect severe treatment and prison sentences. Therefore, the growing community of Christian converts are not permitted to attend recognised churches and they have to gather for worship in secret “house churches” and risk arrest and imprisonment. In the past few years, a number of Christians have been handed down sentences of between 10 and 15 years, charged with offences such as “acting against national security”. These political charges are used to help avoid international outcry at religiously motivated charges such as apostasy. Those detained or charged often have to obtain and hand over exorbitant amounts for bail, which are often forfeited as some choose to flee the country in the knowledge that they are very unlikely to receive a fair trial and just verdict. Those awaiting trial who flee the country are tried in absentia. Many will face a gruelling legal process, and until their case is heard, which could take several years, their lives are in limbo. The majority of the Christians arrested in the last few years have been released, either after finishing their prison sentences or temporarily released on bail with severe warnings and threats against any further Christian activity. Once released, they are closely monitored, and risk re-arrest and imprisonment if they engage, or are suspected of engaging, in any Christian activity. Iran is 9th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is hardest to be a Christian. Last year at least 171 Christians were arrested for peacefully practising their Christian faith, as Amnesty International highlighted when referring to 2018 as Iran’s “year of shame”.
Bahram Nasibov, Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh 19 September 2019 Case Studies (Last updated: April 2025) Left to right: Bahram Nasibov, Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh Case referenced by Article18, Middle East Concern, Mohabat News, World Watch Monitor Summary On 24 June 2016, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, an Iranian convert to Christianity, was arrested alongside three Christians visiting from Azerbaijan – Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Bahram Nasibov – at a private gathering near Tehran. In May 2017, all four were sentenced (the Azerbaijanis in absentia) to 10 years’ imprisonment for “actions against national security”. On 20 January 2018, Nasser was taken to Evin Prison to begin his sentence. He remained in prison until 17 October 2022, when he was surprisingly “pardoned”. The Azerbaijanis remain in their home country but would face arrest and imprisonment should they return to Iran. Case in full On 24 June 2016, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, an Iranian convert to Christianity, was arrested alongside three Christians visiting from Azerbaijan – Eldar Gurbanov, Yusif Farhadov and Bahram Nasibov – at a private gathering near Tehran. Several other Iranian Christians were also arrested during the raid by as many as 30 security agents, but they were soon released. But Nasser and the three men from Azerbaijan were detained for over four months, including two months each in solitary confinement. Their family members were not informed where they were being held, and they were refused access to consular assistance and legal counsel. In September 2016 they were transferred from solitary confinement to shared cells in Ward 350 of Evin Prison. They faced charges of engaging in missionary activity and propaganda against the regime. On 7 November they were released on bail of 100 million tomans each (around $35,000), after which the Azerbaijanis returned to their homes and families and have not been forced to return. On 23 May 2017, all four men were sentenced (the Azerbaijanis in absentia) at Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Mashallah Ahmadzadeh, to 10 years’ imprisonment for “actions against [Iran’s] national security”, “missionary activities”, “organic relations with Sweden’s ‘Word of Life’ Church”, and what the prosecutor called “Zionist Christianity”. They were sentenced under Article 498 of the Islamic Penal Code, which provides for punishment of between two and 10 years’ imprisonment for members of religious groups deemed to have “undermined the security of the country”, though their lawyers were not given access to the documents purported to show evidence of these crimes. So the sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment was the harshest possible punishment they could receive, even though Nasser’s lawyer, Hussein Ahmadi-Niyaz, told Article18 the Christians’ meeting had been only religious in nature – “they prayed together and spoke about the Bible” and not at all about wanting to overthrow or undermine the security of the state. On 12 November 2017 their sentences were upheld by Branch 36 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Hassan Babaee. The judge referred to the Ministry of Intelligence in the course of the hearing. However, neither Nasser nor his lawyer were allowed access to the documents and reports cited by the prosecution. In a strange process, the judge called on Nasser to cooperate with his interrogators from the Ministry of Intelligence, in order to reduce his sentence. However, the Ministry of Intelligence was the plaintiff and investigating body in the case. On 20 January 2018, Nasser was taken to Evin Prison to begin his sentence. He is in Ward 8, Hall 10 of the notorious prison. The Azerbaijanis remain in their home country but will face arrest and imprisonment should they return to Iran. In April 2018, Nasser was denied access to the emergency dental treatment he needed, with family members telling Article18 he was in danger of losing all his teeth if left untreated. On 9 August 2018, Nasser wrote an open letter from Evin Prison to Iran’s judiciary, stating: “It’s clear to all, including the prison authorities, judges, lawyers and my fellow prisoners, that I am in prison because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” In his letter he asked three questions: “Would it be even possible for a committed Christian – who was born and raised in Iran and whose forefathers lived in this land for thousands of years, and who is a servant to the God who has called him to a ministry of reconciliation – to act against the national security of his own country? “Is the fellowship of a few Christian brothers and sisters in someone’s home, singing worship songs, reading the Bible and worshiping God acting against national security? “Isn’t it in fact a clear violation of civil and human rights, and an absolute injustice, to receive a ten-year prison sentence just for organising ‘house churches’, which are a sanctuary sanctified as a place to praise and worship God due to closure of churches in Iran?” Nasser pleaded on numerous occasions for a retrial, parole or a reduction of his sentence, but on every occasion he was refused. Until finally, on 17 October 2022, Nasser was told he had been “pardoned”. He was released later that day. On 6 February 2025, Nasser and fellow Christian former prisoner of conscience Joseph Shahbazian were re-arrested at their homes in the Tehran region, and taken back to Evin Prison. On 17 March 2025, Nasser suffered a stroke in his solitary-confinement cell, having been on hunger strike since his re-arrest in protest against the continued persecution of Christians in Iran. Nasser was rushed to the nearby Bani-Hashem Hospital, where he was treated and provided with a range of exercises to help him seek to regain movement in the left-hand side of his body. Two days later, he was returned to the general ward of Evin Prison, where he remains detained at the time of writing, without any official charge. Authorisation Article18 was authorised by Nasser to conduct advocacy on his behalf. The charges against Nasser and the three Azerbaijanis were entirely unfounded and void of any legal basis. They are instead a reflection of the Islamic Republic’s security-oriented approach towards religious minorities. None of them committed any crime, nor are they seeking to act in any way against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The violations against their religious freedom and human rights is solely a result of exercising their Christian faith. Recommendations Article18 petitions the international community to: Urge the Iranian Government to uphold its obligations under its own constitution and international law, including provisions for freedom of religion or belief contained within the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party. Call for the swift application of due process in the cases of all who are detained and/or awaiting charges, trials, sentences or appeal hearings on account of their Christian faith and activities. Support Professor Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, in monitoring Iran’s compliance with international human rights standards, including freedom of religion or belief. Background There has been a significant increase in human rights violations in Iran in recent years, and particularly in the persecution of religious minorities, principally of Christians from the Iranian “house church” movement. Ethnic Christian communities (Assyrian and Armenian) are permitted a degree of freedom to worship, although it is illegal for these churches to conduct services in Farsi (the national language of Iran and the common language of converts). Bibles and other Christian literature are also illegal in Farsi and those found in possession of such materials, especially in sufficient quantities for distribution, can expect severe treatment and prison sentences. Therefore, the growing community of Christian converts are not permitted to attend recognised churches and they have to gather for worship in secret “house churches” and risk arrest and imprisonment. In the past few years, a number of Christians have been handed down sentences of between 10 and 15 years, charged with offences such as “acting against national security”. These political charges are used to help avoid international outcry at religiously motivated charges such as apostasy. Those detained or charged often have to obtain and hand over exorbitant amounts for bail, which are often forfeited as some choose to flee the country in the knowledge that they are very unlikely to receive a fair trial and just verdict. Those awaiting trial who flee the country are tried in absentia. Many will face a gruelling legal process, and until their case is heard, which could take several years, their lives are in limbo. The majority of the Christians arrested in the last few years have been released, either after finishing their prison sentences or temporarily released on bail with severe warnings and threats against any further Christian activity. Once released, they are closely monitored, and risk re-arrest and imprisonment if they engage, or are suspected of engaging, in any Christian activity.
Saheb Fadaie, Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Youhan Omidi 18 September 2019 Case Studies (Last updated: February 2023) This case study was used as part of a UK government-funded report into the persecution of Christians worldwide. The case involves four converts: Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Saheb Fadaie, and Youhan Omidi. Left to right: Saheb Fadaie, Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh and Youhan Omidi. Case referenced by Human Rights Activists News Agency, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Forbes, Middle East Concern, Release International. Short Summary On Friday 13 May 2016 Iranian security forces raided a house-church and arrested five members including Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and his wife, Tina. They were released the same day but the other three were detained. Two months later, on 24 July 2016, Pastor Yousef was summoned and detained in Rasht prison, charged with “acting against national security”. All four of the above men were members of the leadership team of the “Church of Iran”. (The “Church of Iran” is a Unitarian denomination that has been targeted in recent years. Over the past eight years, a number of its members have been detained, including these four men, who were all sentenced to 10 years in prison, though their sentences were later reduced.) Background events On Friday 13 May 2016 security forces raided a house gathering of a group of converts and arrested five members including Pastor Yousef and his wife, Fatemeh (Tina) Pasandideh, along with Mohammad Ali (Yasser) Mossayebzadeh, Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie, and Mohammad Reza (Youhan) Omidi. All four men were members of the leadership team of the church. Prior to the raid, VEVAK (MOIS) officers summoned Saheb and Youhan to their offices by telephone, telling them that their homes had been raided and they had seized their Bibles, computers and mobile phones. (Iran’s intelligence service is called, in English, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, or MOIS, and, in Persian, Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Amniat-e Keshvar, or VEVAK.) Pastor Yousef and his wife were released the same day, but the other three remained detained. After two weeks in prison, they were all released on bail of 100 million tomans (around $33,000). On 24 July 2016 Pastor Yousef was summoned to the 13th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht. He was formally charged with “acting against national security” and given until 31 August to deposit his $33,000 bail. He was held in Rasht Prison on 1 and 2 August, but was released after title deeds were submitted. On 10 September 2016, Saheb and Youhan were summoned to Rasht Court to answer charges of drinking wine during communion, and were sentenced to 80 lashes each. On 15 October 2016, Yasser, Saheb, and Youhan had a hearing to face charges of “acting against national security”. On 8 May 2017, all four had a hearing at the branch of the revolutionary court presided over by Judge Masha’allah Ahmadzadeh. The second hearing was scheduled for 14 June. On 6 July 2017 Pastor Yousef, Youhan, Yasser, and Saheb were given 10-year prison sentences for “acting against national security by propagating house-churches and promoting Zionist Christianity”. Pastor Yousef and Youhan were also sentenced to two years’ exile – Pastor Yousef in Nik-Shahr and Youhan in Borazjan. Both of these locations are in the south of the country, far away from their families in Rasht. The verdict was dated 24 June but was received by the lawyer for the four men on 6 July. They lodged an appeal. On 14 December, 2017 the appeal court took place. On 2 May 2018 all four received notification from the appeal court through their lawyer that the 10-year prison sentences were upheld by Judge Hassan Babaee. On 22 July 2018, Pastor Yousef was taken to Evin Prison in the capital, Tehran, after a violent raid on his home in the northern city of Rasht. The other three members of his congregation sentenced along with him were also taken to Evin the following day. They had been expecting a summons to serve their sentences. However, rather than being summoned, plain-clothed officers forced their way into Pastor Yousef’s home early on Sunday morning. The officers asked for Pastor Yousef after his teenage son, Danial, opened the door. When he went to call his father, the officers attacked him with a taser and incapacitated him. When Pastor Yousef came, they also tasered him, before taking him away. The security forces used unwarranted and excessive force: Pastor Yousef was beaten up, despite the fact that neither he, nor his son, had offered any resistance. Pastor Yousef was able to call his family from Evin Prison on 23 July to let them know he was being held there, in quarantine, before being transferred to Ward 8 of Evin Prison. Previous arrests Pastor Yousef was initially arrested in 2009 after going to his children’s school to question why all students – even if their parents were Christian – needed to study the Quran. He was charged with “apostasy” and sentenced to death in 2010, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011. The pastor was repeatedly asked to renounce his faith during court hearings in order to avoid the death penalty, but he refused. On 8 September 2012, he was released from prison following his acquittal on apostasy charges, though he was found guilty on charges of “evangelising Muslims and conducting illegal house-church services in his home”, for which he received a three-year sentence. Pastor Yousef was re-arrested on Christmas Day 2012 on the orders of the director of Lakan Prison, where he had been held, ostensibly to serve the remainder of a three-year sentence. He was released once again on 7 January 2013. Youhan was initially detained on 31 December 2012, during the annual government crackdown on house-churches around Christmas time. He was part of a group of four converts who in October 2013 were charged with “drinking alcohol during a communion service, and possessing a receiver and satellite antenna”. That group were also sentenced to 80 lashes each. In February 2015, all four men were briefly detained following similar raids. Analysis There has been a significant increase in human-rights violations in Iran in recent years, and particularly in the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians from a Muslim background. The Iranian constitution supports freedom of religion for religious-minority groups recognised by the government – those being Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. Though apostasy is a crime under Islamic law, the Iranian Penal Code has not specifically assigned any punishment for apostates. (Apostasy has always been a controversial issue within Shia Islam. There is no agreed understanding among clerics and Islamic scholars on what actually constitutes apostasy. The issue has been discussed in parliament several times – the latest took place in 2015 on whether to enter apostasy into the Iranian Penal Code. The parliament did not come to a full agreement and it is therefore an ongoing debate.) However, there are several legal provisions that give judges the discretion to find defendants guilty of apostasy. These provisions give more power to prosecutors and judges to bring charges of apostasy along with other crimes related to national security and politics. Moreover, in recent years, converts to Christianity have not been charged with apostasy but rather with “crimes against the regime” and “acting against national security”. Those charges are mainly political charges rather than religious. This might be mainly to avoid an international outcry at religiously-motivated charges such as apostasy. Those detained or charged often have to obtain and hand over exorbitant amounts for bail, which are often forfeited as some choose to flee the country in the knowledge that they are very unlikely to receive a fair trial and just verdict. Those awaiting trial who flee the country are tried in absentia. Many face a gruelling legal process, and until their case is heard, which could take several years, their lives are in limbo. Therefore the majority of the Christians arrested in the last few years have been released, either after finishing their prison sentences, or temporarily released on bail with severe warnings and threats against any further Christian activity. Once released they are closely monitored, and risk re-arrest and imprisonment if they engage in or are suspected of engaging in any Christian activity. UK involvement There has been UK local diplomatic activity in support of Pastor Yousef and others going back to the time of his first imprisonment. Ministers have also made statements bilaterally and in multilateral fora where resolutions condemning breaches of human rights in Iran have been supported at both the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council. Latest updates In October 2019, the four men’s appeals for a retrial were granted, but they were denied temporary release from prison during the process, even after the outbreak of the coronavirus in early 2020. In June 2020, Saheb and Pastor Yousef’s sentences were reduced to six years, and Youhan’s to two years, at a retrial. Yasser was not part of the retrial bid. Youhan was released from prison on 18 August 2020, but was told to report back for his two-year term in exile a few weeks later. He began his term in internal exile on 14 September 2020. One month later, on 14 October 2020, Youhan received 80 lashes for his 2016 conviction for drinking wine during Communion. One month later, on 15 November 2020, Saheb was also flogged for the same “offence”. Later that month, the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that the Iranian government was guilty of arbitrarily detaining Pastor Yousef, and called for his immediate release and for compensation and “other reparations” to be given to him. In January 2021, Yasser’s 10-year sentence was reduced to three years. He was granted conditional release on 22 February 2021, on the proviso he engages in no further Christian activity. It is understood he was pressured to recant his faith in order to secure an early release. In September 2021, Saheb was granted 15 days’ leave, but then cruelly denied an extension to be present for his daughter’s 15th birthday, despite being initially led to believe his request would be granted. In February 2022, Saheb and Yousef were among four converts to fall ill following a suspected Covid-19 outbreak within their ward at Evin Prison. On 15 April 2022, Yousef was given his very first break from prison, a week’s furlough on bail of 300 million tomans (around $11,500), which was later extended by a further seven days, for which he was eligible having never previously taken any leave. He had been denied his first request for a furlough. On 6 June 2022, Youhan was finally told he could return home, his term of exile completed. In February 2023, first Saheb – on 9 February – and then Yousef, on 26 February, were released as part of a wider amnesty of prisoners on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Republic.
UK can ‘amplify voices of those persecuted for faith’ – Mansour Borji 18 September 2019 News Article18’s Advocacy Director, Mansour Borji Interviews and case studies used in the formation of a UK government report into the persecution of Christians worldwide have now been made publicly available. Article18 was the report’s primary source on Iran, contributing statements from Advocacy Director Mansour Borji and researcher Dr Sara Afshari, as well as case studies on the ten-year sentences given to pastors Yousef Nadarkhani and Victor Bet-Tamraz, and the forced closure of an Assyrian church in Tabriz. The report, the preliminary findings of which were first published in May, found that the situation for Christians and other minorities in Iran had “reached an alarming stage”. “Persecution in Iran is on the rise,” noted the report in its brief country overview on Iran, “and most of it is targeted at Christians from a Muslim background and Protestant Christians”. Advocacy Director Mansour Borji called on the UK Foreign Office in his statement to “amplify the voices of those suffering discrimination, harassment and persecution because of their faith and peaceful Christian activities”. He said the UK government should “openly address the violations of religious freedom because that is effective and it does change their behaviour. It makes the Iranian government feel as if they are accountable to the international community”. Mr Borji suggested that, in light of the current political standoff between Iran and the US, the UK may be better placed to call Iran to account on abuses of religious freedom. He championed the work of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and said “multilateral efforts are perhaps more effective, given the current circumstances”. Mr Borji added that a combination of “both behind the scenes reaction and openly addressing the issues” is required, because “doing one or the other runs the risk of appearing insincere”. He cited the examples of Yousef Nadarkhani’s acquittal in his apostasy case and the release of Iranian-American Saeed Abedini as proof that “publicly advocacy does work in most cases, because the Iranian government doesn’t like negative publicity”. Researcher Sara Afshari focused her statement on the government-led campaign of hate speech against Evangelical Christians and converts from a Muslim background, who are referred to as “Zionists” and “crusaders”. She cited the example of the state-sponsored Rahpoyan Institute, which between October 2010 and December 2018 published over 1,800 “critical views and anti-Christian items, including hate speech and incitement of discrimination and hatred against Christians in the form of news, views, interviews, video clips, articles and so on”. Dr Afshari noted that there had been a “spike” in anti-Christian propaganda in 2017 after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called the paramilitary volunteer group Basij “commanders” in a “soft war” allegedly being waged by the West against the Iranian regime, with Evangelical Christianity as its weapon. “Khamenei ordered them [the Basij] to bypass the law and ‘act on their own sense of religious duty’ and act in a ‘fire at will’ form,” Dr Afshari explained. “This caused great concern and so shortly after this he clarified his comments saying that, ‘By “fire at will” I didn’t mean bypassing the law; I was referring to responding from a social and cultural point of view”. So his agencies took that as needing to increase their media propaganda, and through media propaganda you increase your effectiveness in a ‘cultural way’.” Dr Afshari urged the UK Foreign Office to engage with the “complexity of the Iranian system”, whereby “although the president is the second highest official position in the country, his power is limited” by the Supreme Leader’s control over all aspects of life in Iran. She said failure to understand this complexity was “one of the main reasons for the ineffectiveness of the international efforts in relation to their negotiation with the Iranian government regarding Christian persecution and freedom of religion in general”. Dr Afshari added that it was important not only to focus on the persecution of Christians, but also of other religious minority groups, as for a Western government to “single out Christians” could be seen as a “confirmation” of the regime’s accusations that Christians are “spies” of the West and Israel. Dr Afshari also said that to reduce the number of Christian refugees fleeing Iran – almost all of whom she noted are from a Muslim background – “it is important to put pressure on the Iranian government to recognise Christians from a Muslim background, to reopen Farsi- speaking churches and allow them to worship together, and to guarantee their safety”. Case studies The case of Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, sentenced to ten years in prison in July 2017, is presented by Article18 as a “good example” of how, “though Christians are one of the few religious minority groups officially recognised in Iran’s constitution … they are not allowed to share their faith with Muslims or permit converts to participate in church activities”. “If they do,” as in the case of Pastor Victor, “the church may face severe persecution, such as the closing down of the church and imprisoning of church leaders”. Pastor Victor was removed from his post by the Assyrian representative to the Iranian Parliament, Yonathan Betkolia, in 2009, after the pastor refused to stop conducting services in Farsi. He was then arrested during a Christmas celebration in 2014, alongside two converts from a Muslim background – who were later sentenced alongside him to ten and 15 years in prison, respectively. Article18’s case study notes that this issue was raised by a UK member of parliament in the week after the verdict. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth office responded: “The government is aware of reports regarding Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, Amin Afshar-Naderi and Hadi Asgari. The government notes the worrying trend of harassment of Christians in Iran and strongly condemns any mistreatment of religious minorities in the country. We regularly raise our concerns about the human rights situation in Iran both in London and Tehran. We call on Iran to cease harassment of religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.” Similarly, Mr Borji noted in his statement that in the case of Pastor Nadarkhani’s death sentence for apostasy, “the FCO made a plea for his release and, as a result of mounting international pressure, he was released”. “However, in 2016 he was re-arrested and sentenced to 10 years for actions against national security and he is in his first year of his prison sentence,” Mr Borji added. “His children are banned from school unless they accept the status of a Muslim. Local education authorities overruled the superior education authority ruling to give them access to education. He tried to register them as Christians before he went into prison.” Last week, Article18 reported on the comments of Iran’s Minister of Education, who said children professing an “unrecognised” religious faith at school were engaging in “propaganda” and should be banned. Meanwhile, Article18 reported in July that a pro-government news agency in Iran had claimed the Assyrian church in Tabriz was in fact never closed and that its cross “fell down” and was later restored. Mr Borji said the report was an effort at “damage control” after the “despicable act” of forcibly closing the church and taking down the cross.
Ban schoolchildren who propagate ‘unrecognised’ religions, says Iran’s Minister of Education 12 September 2019 News (Photo: Mehr) Iran’s Minister of Education says children who profess an unrecognised religious faith at school are engaging in “propaganda” and should be banned. Mohsen Haji Mirzaei made the remarks yesterday at a cabinet meeting, ahead of the new school term. He seemed to partially retract the comments in a Twitter post later that day, saying “free and quality education is the right of all children” and paraphrasing Article 23 of the Constitution, which states that “no-one should be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief”. However, at the end of his tweet he added that “illegal sects should not be promoted in school, which is a place for legal education”. This was a clear reference to unrecognised faiths such as the Baha’i faith and Evangelical Christianity, both of which have been regularly referred to as “sects” by Iranian officials including the Supreme Leader. آموزش رایگان و با کیفیت حق همه کودکان است.نباید کسی به سبب داشتن عقیدهای از #حق_تحصیل در مدرسه محروم شود. نباید کسی در #مدرسه اجازه #تفتیش_عقاید داشته باشد.نباید فرقههای غیرقانونی در مدرسه تبلیغ شوند.مدرسه جای تربیت حقمدارانه و آموزش قانونگرایانه است.#حق_یادگیری— محسن حاجی میرزایی (@hajimirzaee_m) September 11, 2019 “The Minister’s comments mean a Christian convert or member of the Baha’i faith would have to lie about their faith in order to benefit from their constitutional right to education,” notes Article18’s Advocacy Director, Mansour Borji. Although Christianity is an officially recognised minority faith in Iran, alongside Judaism and Zoroastrianism, only ethnic Christians from the Armenian and Assyrian minorities are permitted to practise this faith – not converts from Islam, who remain an unrecognised minority, even though they number in excess of half a million. Iran has ratified both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, both of which provide for full religious freedom, including the freedom to change one’s religion and to propagate that faith – both in private and in public. However, these freedoms are severely restricted in Iran, as highlighted by the latest report of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman. “Even for the recognised religious minorities, there is no provision under the legal system of the Islamic Republic of Iran permitting conversions from Islam, which is considered apostasy,” he wrote. “This puts Christian converts from Islam at risk of persecution. Apostasy is not codified as an Islamic Penal Code offence, but conversion from Islam is punishable by death.” Death sentences for apostasy are rare, though they do still occur, such as in the case of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani. His death sentence was later overturned, but last year he was taken back to prison to begin serving a new ten-year sentence on charges of “forming a house church” and “promoting Zionist Christianity”. Pastor Yousef had previously protested against against forced Islamic education for his son, Danial, who was prevented from progressing at school because he refused to sit an Islamic religious education test. The authorities had insisted that Danial participate in the test – against his own wished and those of his parents – in addition to attending Quranic classes. This was in contravention of Article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which gives parents the right to pass on their own religious teachings to their children, and prevents the authorities from intervening. Earlier this year, the Iranian government banned members of religious minorities from teaching in nursery schools, except in special schools where all children already belong to that minority. The move drew criticism from many, including the Zoroastrian representative to the parliament, who said it went against the constitution. In response to the criticism, an Iranian official clarified that members of religious minorities are able to take some classes – such as music or gymnastics – but they are not allowed to be class teachers. It was already effectively impossible for members of religious minorities to teach older children in Iran, because of the special criteria needing to be met to become a teacher, which includes belief in Islam and the office of the Supreme Leader. Meanwhile, in recent years many headmasters at schools for religious minorities have been replaced by Muslims appointed by the regime.
Converts’ asylum claims should hinge on personal experience of faith, not theological understanding – report 10 September 2019 News Embed from Getty Images Researchers at an international Christian charity have urged immigration officials in countries where Iranian converts make asylum claims to focus their questions on the claimant’s “personal experience of Christianity”, rather than the extent of their theological understanding. Open Doors International’s report encourages officials to “explore when and where the claimant’s personal experience of Christianity began and the steps taken on the way to full acceptance of the new faith”, and for the interview “not [to] be reduced to a mere collection of data describing the journey from Iran to the country of destination, or to a description of exact dates when the person was first introduced to the new faith”. Several countries have faced criticism for the types of questions asked of Iranians claiming to have fled persecution at home after converting to Christianity. In March, the UK’s immigration service came under fire for using verses from the Bible to contradict the claims of an asylum seeker who said he’d converted to Christianity because it was a “peaceful” religion. The UK has since hired clerics to train its staff in religious literacy. Open Doors International’s report acknowledges that interviewers have a “difficult task” in determining the genuineness of a claimant’s faith and therefore suggests “considerable weight” should be given to the testimony of church leaders. “Often, the church in the asylum country has spent considerable time with a claimant, having received the claimant into a church as a new member,” the report says. “Christians – including converts – are one of the most persecuted religious minorities in Iran,” it says. “Returning a genuine Christian to Iran – whether a convert to Christianity or an ethnic-minority Christian – would subject the convert to ill-treatment, deprivation of fundamental human rights including clear violations of one’s Freedom of Religion and Belief, and potentially expose the individual to life-threatening danger.”Open Doors International The report notes that Christians are seen as a “growing threat” and are closely monitored, “especially those who have contacts with Christians outside Iran, converted from Islam to Christianity, or those who provide assistance to and training for those wishing to convert, or simply provide Persian-language Christian materials”. As a result, the report says the Iranian government is increasingly able to identify Christians, even those practising in secret. If identified, the report notes that Christians will, “at minimum, suffer substantial harm or interference with life by way of deprivation of liberty, denial of education and employment opportunities, assaults and continual harassment; or in the worst case, the individual could face severe mistreatment and even death”. It concludes: “Despite allegations by the Iranian government that its laws respect and recognise the Christian community, the Christian community in Iran faces systemic and systematic state persecution and discrimination. Returning a genuine Christian to Iran – whether a convert to Christianity or an ethnic-minority Christian – would subject the convert to ill-treatment, deprivation of fundamental human rights including clear violations of one’s Freedom of Religion and Belief, and potentially expose the individual to life-threatening danger.
Fatemeh Bakhtari begins one-year jail sentence 31 August 2019 News Fatemeh Bakhtari presented herself at Tehran’s Evin Prison today to begin her one-year jail sentence. Fatemeh, who is 35 years old and known as Aylar, was informed in May that her appeal against her sentence, for “propaganda against the regime”, had failed. Last month, Article18 reported that for Aylar the prospect of a jail sentence was not as frightening as the two-year ban she has been given from all social activities following her release – meaning she will be unable to attend any group meeting of more than two people, effectively cutting her off from gathering with her co-religionists. Aylar was first summoned for interrogation three years ago and threatened that she would be arrested if she continued to meet with other converts. But she carried on attending house-church meetings as she “didn’t see anything illegal in gathering with others to worship”. When she was next arrested, Aylar was ridiculed for her faith and threatened. Then during her appearance before the court, the presiding judges, Hassan Babaee and Mashallah Ahmadzadeh, spent more time encouraging her to return to Islam than discussing her alleged crime. She was asked to recant her faith and told that if she did, the charges against her would be dropped. When she refused, the judges told her to expect their verdict in a few days. Four months later, on 18 May, she and her co-defendant, Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie, were notified that their sentences had been upheld. Zaman is already serving a separate ten-year sentence, issued in July 2017, for forming a “house church” and “promoting Zionist Christianity”. He was taken to serve that sentence in Evin Prison in July 2018, alongside his pastor, Yousef Nadarkhani, and two other members of their Rasht church – Mohammad Ali Mossabayeh and Mohammad Reza Omidi, who are also converts. Nine other members of the Rasht “Church of Iran” group have been arrested this year. In March, seven of them were released on bail, but two were held. Last month, five of them had their bail increased tenfold to the equivalent of $130,000, after insisting upon being defended by their own lawyer. Being unable and unprepared to pay such an amount, they were transferred to Evin Prison.