Detained Christian in ‘psychologically very bad condition and only cries’ 3 October 2024 News The brother-in-law of a Christian convert who remains detained nearly a month after her arrest says he fears his sister-in-law may carry the psychological scars of her ordeal for the rest of her life. Sam Khosravi told Morning Star News that his detained sister-in-law, Mojdeh Falahi, is “psychologically in a very bad condition, and only cries”. Mojdeh has been detained since her arrest on 9 September at the prosecutor’s office in Shiraz, where she had gone to provide documents to secure the release for another detained Christian. Sam, who has himself been living in hiding since a judge ordered that his adopted daughter must be removed from his care because he and his wife had become Christians, confirmed that Mojdeh is being detained in the Pelak-e 100 detention centre, which is under the jurisdiction of Iran’s intelligence ministry. Mojdeh’s mother was able to visit her briefly on Monday for just the second time since her detention, Sam said, but Mojdeh was not able to speak freely. “We do not know what exactly has happened to her [during her detention] because she was being monitored [during the visit],” he said. “We worry and wonder why they have kept her for such a long time. “Mojdeh’s mother goes to the court every day to pursue the case and asks the judge to release her. She went to the court [on Monday], and after a lot of begging, the judge allowed her to see Mojdeh.” Sam told Morning Star News he believes the primary reason for his sister-in-law’s detention is to “break” her, explaining how he knows one Christian who after their release didn’t feel able to enter a church for years, and another who was told by guards that the screams he could hear from another cell were those of his wife as she was raped repeatedly. “It’s all about humiliation,” he said. “There will be things in their mind and heart they will never get over.” Sam added that he didn’t know why Mojdeh is being held for so long, but expects she is being pressured to provide information about other Christians. However, he said she would not have much information, as she is not in a leadership position at any church. Sam added that Mojdeh’s family were told by Iranian officials that they would be able to visit her for longer if they encouraged her to provide them with more information, but they refused. To date, Mojdeh’s mother has been able to see her daughter for a total of just eight minutes, across two visits, Sam said, adding that he also worries about the mental state of his mother-in-law. “Her situation is so bad,” he said. “She has become like a person with Alzheimer’s. She’ll do something once, forget and then do it again. She is under a lot of pressure.”
Christian convert released after nearly five years in prison 30 September 2024 News A Christian convert whose only son died during his nearly five years in Evin Prison has been released after his 10-year sentence was reduced by a Tehran appeal court. Mehdi Akbari, who goes by the name Yasser, was released yesterday after his sentence was reduced to four years and five months. (Yasser had been in prison for four years and nine months.) He was met outside prison early yesterday afternoon by his family and friend and fellow Christian convert, Mehdi Rokhparvar, alongside whom he was initially sentenced and who was released from his own prison term last year. Yasser’s release comes just five days after the release of another Iranian Christian who had been serving a 10-year term, pastor Anooshavan Avedian, who was acquitted by the same court of appeal (Branch 21) last Tuesday. During his nearly five years in prison, Yasser applied for a retrial with the Supreme Court on five occasions. His first four applications were rejected, but his final application, lodged in April 2024, was accepted, and Branch 39 of the Supreme Court ruled that the length of his sentence should be reviewed, leading ultimately to yesterday’s hearing at the appeal court. Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, commented: “We welcome the release both of Yasser and Anooshavan, for whom we have long campaigned and neither of whom should have spent even one day in prison. Both Yasser’s reduction of sentence and Anooshavan’s acquittal show clearly how arbitrary their sentences were in the first place, being questioned not only by independent lawyers but also now by the judges of Iran’s own Supreme Court, further demonstrating the baselessness of the accusations that have led these and other Christians to spend years of their lives behind bars. “We call now for the immediate release of the other at least 20 Christians still in prison only on account of their beliefs and the peaceful outworking of these beliefs, such as Armenian citizen Hakop Gochumyan, who is also serving a 10-year sentence only because he visited some churches and was in possession of a handful of Bibles. “Iran has for too long targeted Christians simply on account of their beliefs, while at the same time claiming on the world stage that ‘no-one is imprisoned for their beliefs’. The cases of Yasser, Anooshavan, Hakop and many others betray the falsehood of this claim. In reality, evangelical Christians and converts to Christianity, alongside other unrecognised religious groups, continue to be targeted only because of their beliefs. If the Islamic Republic of Iran really wants to build a reputation for being a place where no-one is imprisoned on account of their beliefs, it must immediately release all other religious prisoners of conscience, and fulfil its obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 18 of which enshrines religious freedom, including the freedoms to change one’s beliefs and to share them with others.”
Christian convert denied parole after ‘refusing forced confession’ 27 September 2024 News Photo: Facebook A Christian convert serving a two-year sentence in Evin Prison on charges related to her Christian activities has been denied parole because she refused to record a forced confession and public disavowal of reports about her case, according to Persian-language news site Human Rights in Iran. Laleh Saati, who is a former asylum-seeker, is eligible for parole, having served one-third of her sentence, which also includes a two-year travel ban following her release. According to the report, Laleh has also been refused the opportunity to be released with an electronic tag – all at the insistence of officers of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS). Laleh has been detained since her arrest in February, and was initially held in Ward 209 of the prison, which is under the jurisdiction of the MOIS. During her interrogations there, photographs and videos of her Christian activities and baptism in Malaysia, where she had claimed asylum, were brought before her as evidence of her “crime”. When she was sentenced a month later, the Tehran Revolutionary Court judge reportedly asked her why she had risked returning to Iran from Malaysia “given that you have done such things [Christian activities] outside of Iran”. Laleh has reportedly struggled with her mental health as a result of the stress of her imprisonment, and both she and her elderly mother have been threatened with new court proceedings against them as a result of the publicity her case has received. “Laleh’s case clearly shows that the Christian activities of asylum-seekers in foreign countries can be used against them in court proceedings back in Iran,” said Article18’s Mansour Borji after news about her case was first published. “I hope immigration authorities around the world will take note of this, and think twice before rejecting out of hand the asylum claims of genuine Christians who may face persecution upon return to their country of origin.”
Iranian-Armenian pastor acquitted, released from 10-year prison sentence 25 September 2024 News A 62-year-old Iranian-Armenian pastor serving a 10-year prison sentence for leading a house-church has been acquitted and released after just over a year in Tehran’s Evin Prison. Anooshavan Avedian was released last night, after his appeal was accepted at a hearing yesterday afternoon at Branch 21 of the Appeal Court of Tehran. Anooshavan spent just over a year in prison, having been summoned to serve his sentence on the very same day that another Iranian-Armenian pastor, Joseph Shahbazian, was released from his own 10-year sentence. The pastor’s first day in prison coincided with the visit of Iran’s former president, Ebrahim Raisi, to New York, while his last day in prison coincided with the visit of Raisi’s successor, Masoud Pezeshkian. However, Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, warned against assuming the release was linked, and added: “For Anooshavan to have spent even one day in prison was unjust, especially now that he has been found to have committed no crime. We hope that he will be fully compensated for all that he has endured.” Last year, the UN Human Rights Committee called on Iran to “immediately release those imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief”, and ensure they are provided with “adequate compensation”. Meanwhile, Article18 called on the Iranian authorities to immediately release Anooshavan, among other Christian prisoners of conscience, as part of our latest joint submission to the UN in July. At least 21 other Christians are currently serving sentences related to their faith, including at least 10 in Evin Prison. Among them is Hakop Gochumyan, an Armenian citizen who is serving his own 10-year sentence for allegedly engaging in “deviant proselytising”, and who accompanied Anooshavan to the Evin Prison gate yesterday. Anooshavan’s appearance at the Tehran appeal court came after the Supreme Court accepted his latest petition for a retrial, lodged in April 2024, having previously denied all other petitions.
Sister of convicted Christian converts detained by Ministry of Intelligence 16 September 2024 News A Christian convert arrested a week ago in the southern city of Shiraz is still being held in an infamous detention centre belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence. Mojdeh Falahi, 36, whose two older sisters were arrested five years ago for their Christian activities, was arrested on 9 September at the prosecutor’s office in Shiraz, and has not been heard from since. Article18 understands that she is being detained in the Pelak-e 100 detention centre, which is under the jurisdiction of Iran’s intelligence ministry. According to a source familiar with the case, Mojdeh, who is a hairdresser, had gone to the prosecutor’s office at around lunchtime at the request of a Christian friend, who had been arrested the day before, in order to provide him with some documents required for his release. However, once she arrived, Mojdeh was immediately detained and is now being held on charges filed under the titles of “Christianity” and “illegal Christian activities”. “Mojdeh has been a Christian for years,” Article18’s source explained, “though her activities have never been extensive.” Mojdeh’s family have visited the prosecutor’s office several times since her arrest and asked to see her, but they have not been permitted to, and neither has Mojdeh been granted access to a lawyer. Mojdeh’s sisters, Maryam and Marjan, were part of a group of eight Christian converts arrested in Bushehr, 300km west of Shiraz, in July 2019. A year later, Maryam and Marjan were fined 8 million tomans (around $400) and 6 million tomans (around $300), respectively. Meanwhile, Maryam, who is a nurse, was banned for life from working for any national institution, including the hospital she had worked at for 20 years. In a separate court case later that year, a judge ruled that Maryam and her husband, Sam Khosravi, could no longer keep custody of their adopted daughter, Lydia, because they were Christians and Lydia, being of unknown parentage, was considered to be Muslim. Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, commented: “Mojdeh’s mother, now in her 60s, was left deeply traumatised after enduring the arrest five years ago of two of her daughters for their Christian faith. She has never fully recovered from the pain and anguish of their detention, and now she is being forced to relive that nightmare after the arrest of her third daughter. “What the Iranian authorities fail to recognise is that every arrest they make shatters not just one life, but entire families. Each act of cruelty ripples through generations, leaving scars that may never heal, simply because of these people’s commitment to their Christian faith.”
‘No-one imprisoned for beliefs’ one of Iran’s ‘1000s of lies’ – Anoosheh Ashoori 6 September 2024 Features A British-Iranian who spent over four years in Tehran’s Evin Prison says claims by Islamic Republic officials that “no-one is imprisoned in Iran because of their beliefs” are “among the 1000s of lies they have said”. “This can be considered one of those many lies,” Anoosheh Ashoori said in an exclusive interview with Article18. “Because I met these people.” One such prisoner, alongside whom Anoosheh was detained and who remains in Evin Prison, is Christian convert Yasser Akbari. Anoosheh said it was for Yasser’s sake that he agreed to the interview, explaining how the two had become friends during the marquetry classes they took together inside prison. The former hostage described Yasser as a “kind” and “fantastic human being”, whose “pain was in fact more severe than others” due to the loss of his only son, Amir Ali, during their time together in prison. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Article18.en (@articleeighteen.en) “Amir Ali had many medical issues, and [Yasser] was not allowed to go and visit him,” Anoosheh explained, with tears in his eyes. “And even when his condition became critical, and he was there begging the authorities to allow him to go and visit his son in the hospital, they didn’t. “And after he passed away, it took quite a while before he was allowed to go to attend the funeral. “Even now, it is so crystal clear [in my mind], all of that pain that he was going through, and he’s still there [in prison].” Yasser Akbari said he carries the grief of the death of his son, Amir Ali, “like a suppressed cry and an unexpressed sorrow”. Anoosheh described Yasser and other imprisoned Christian converts as “prisoners of conscience”, adding: “When we are born, we haven’t chosen our names, and we haven’t chosen our religion … And when we grow up, it is up to us to decide what we want to be. Do we want to believe, or do we not want to believe. One has to have the freedom to choose [one’s] religion, and the freedom of thought. Unfortunately, in that country, that doesn’t exist.” Anoosheh added that the Iranian authorities’ insistence that the presence of several hundred churches for Armenian and Assyrian minorities displayed its “religious freedom” was another way in which the regime hides its “filth under a veneer of legality”. “You would look at it from the outside, and you would say, ‘Well, what is the problem?’” he said. “But you just need to get inside [the country] to see that filth – to see that rotten way of thinking that exists there.” Anoosheh was 63 years old when he was first detained, and said it pained him to hear that several current Christian prisoners of conscience are of a similar age, such as Iranian-Armenian pastor Anooshavan Avedian, who is 62, and Christian convert Mina Khajavi, who will turn 61 later this year. “It’s the time that you should retire, enjoy your life with your [spouse], with your family, perhaps with your grandchildren,” he said. “And then this happens [that you are arrested, and] for a lot of us in that situation, it is very difficult to find hope and to fight and go forward, hoping that you would be released one day.” Anooshavan Avedian, 62, is serving a 10-year prison sentence for leading a house-church. Anoosheh was released in March 2022, alongside fellow British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, after the UK agreed to pay back a longstanding debt to Iran. Anoosheh was never and remains not nearly so well known as his fellow British-Iranian, and acknowledged that this was difficult to deal with. “Of course, it is so,” he said. “Unfortunately, not only in Britain, but everywhere in the world, news must be attractive. I remember somebody told my wife or my daughter, when they actually complained about why we were not being also mentioned as frequently, and a journalist told them that ‘your news is not sexy enough’. “So then it becomes doubly difficult for you. And then, compare me with Yasser, whose name is so obscure, he’s not even being mentioned, and the reason I am here is to let Yasser know, to let people like Yasser know, that although I am free and am here in Britain, I have not forgotten about them. “One of the reasons one can survive in a prison like Evin is that they know that somebody is thinking of them. They know that they are not forgotten. And once you know that, that element of hope is there for you so you can carry on that little further, until your freedom arrives.” Mina Khajavi, who is serving a six-year sentence, will turn 61 in December. But Anoosheh said he could also understand why some choose not to publicise their cases. “It’s quite complicated,” he explained, “because they have got relatives, and the authorities don’t have any red lines. They can arrest relatives. They can threaten you. I mean, they threatened me that they would kill my family members. And when I told my interrogator that, ‘Look, they are in Britain, you cannot reach them,’ he told me, ‘Remember [assassinated former Prime Minister] Bakhtiar,’ and that was it, I got my answer. “So for many of the people who are silent, it’s because of the fear of harm coming to their loved ones because they’re still in Iran.” At the same time, Anoosheh said publicity “in a general form is a must, because social awareness is a must”, and the result of increased awareness may be the reason why, for example, those accused of apostasy are no longer executed, “because of the international repercussions”. “Otherwise [the Iranian authorities] would be exactly the same as the Taliban [and] execute any convert straight away,” he said. Anoosheh said that inside Evin Prison there was a famous saying that “days look like centuries, and years seem like days, because you go around seeing people and you ask, ‘how long are you here?’ And the other guy says ‘nine years’. Another one says ‘seven years’. But then, every second, every minute of spending time in that circle of hell, in itself, is quite a long time. You have to fill in those times by doing things; otherwise you would go insane.” And aside from the marquetry classes that he took with Yasser, Anoosheh devoted much of his time to exercise, with the dream of completing the London Marathon once he was eventually freed. Anoosheh has since completed three marathons to raise awareness about those he “left behind”, and says he plans to run the next one, providing his knees “don’t betray” him. You can watch the full interview here.
Misinformation and Disinformation: Implications for Freedom of Religion of Belief 2 September 2024 Reports The Iranian authorities’ “systematic” and “targeted” dissemination of disinformation about religious minorities, including Christians, has been highlighted in a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The report, ‘Misinformation and Disinformation: Implications for Freedom of Religion of Belief’, released last month, says disinformation about Jews, Sunni Muslims, Gonabadi Sufis, Christian converts and Baha’is in Iran is “often” disseminated through state media. “Iranian state-linked media have claimed falsely or without evidence that … Christian converts from Islam are part of a ‘Zionist’ network that poses a national security risk,” the report notes, adding that “such false claims create a restrictive environment for FoRB [freedom of religion or belief] in Iran in the context of arrests, imprisonment and sometimes executions of Baha’is, Gonabadi Sufis, Christians, and members of the Erfan-e-Halgheh movement.” The report, which also includes examples from China, Russia, Pakistan and India, says the spreading of false claims about religious minorities represents a “global challenge to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), with social media and the Internet allowing the claims to “spread faster and wider than ever before”. USCIRF warns that government misinformation and disinformation can cause “profound harms” by “amplify[ing] intolerance from individuals who may believe the content of these campaigns and and harass, intimidate, or threaten the targeted religious groups”, “increas[ing] the risk of violence that targets religious minorities” and creating “an environment enabling violations of their international legal right to FoRB”. The false claims also “signal to targeted religious communities that governments will not ensure their freedom of religion or belief and may actively seek to restrict it,” USCIRF says, “… affect[ing] community members’ perception of how safe it is for them to teach, practice, worship, and observe their religious beliefs. Many may self-censor or otherwise shy away from exercising FoRB as a result.” The report concludes that governments are “increasingly using such tactics to threaten, harass, intimidate, and attack individuals and communities on the basis of their religious beliefs”, and calls on the US government to “collaborat[e] with like-minded governments … to develop strategies to counter governments using misinformation and disinformation to encourage or justify restrictions on FoRB”.
Iran’s ‘systematic’ disinformation about religious minorities risks ‘profound harms’ – report 2 September 2024 News Embed from Getty Images The Iranian authorities’ “systematic” and “targeted” dissemination of disinformation about religious minorities, including Christians, has been highlighted in a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The report, ‘Misinformation and Disinformation: Implications for Freedom of Religion of Belief’, released last month, says disinformation about Jews, Sunni Muslims, Gonabadi Sufis, Christian converts and Baha’is in Iran is “often” disseminated through state media. “Iranian state-linked media have claimed falsely or without evidence that … Christian converts from Islam are part of a ‘Zionist’ network that poses a national security risk,” the report notes, adding that “such false claims create a restrictive environment for FoRB [freedom of religion or belief] in Iran in the context of arrests, imprisonment and sometimes executions of Baha’is, Gonabadi Sufis, Christians, and members of the Erfan-e-Halgheh movement.” The report, which also includes examples from China, Russia, Pakistan and India, says the spreading of false claims about religious minorities represents a “global challenge to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), with social media and the Internet allowing the claims to “spread faster and wider than ever before”. USCIRF warns that government misinformation and disinformation can cause “profound harms” by “amplify[ing] intolerance from individuals who may believe the content of these campaigns and harass, intimidate, or threaten the targeted religious groups”, “increas[ing] the risk of violence that targets religious minorities” and creating “an environment enabling violations of their international legal right to FoRB”. The false claims also “signal to targeted religious communities that governments will not ensure their freedom of religion or belief and may actively seek to restrict it,” USCIRF says, “… affect[ing] community members’ perception of how safe it is for them to teach, practice, worship, and observe their religious beliefs. Many may self-censor or otherwise shy away from exercising FoRB as a result.” The report concludes that governments are “increasingly using such tactics to threaten, harass, intimidate, and attack individuals and communities on the basis of their religious beliefs”, and calls on the US government to “collaborat[e] with like-minded governments … to develop strategies to counter governments using misinformation and disinformation to encourage or justify restrictions on FoRB”.
Over 300 Christian cases among hacked Tehran judiciary files 29 August 2024 News The case files of over 300 Christians who faced charges related to their faith and religious activities are among the over 3 million prosecutions leaked by hackers of the Tehran judiciary’s website over the past six months, a study by Article18 has revealed. The data, leaked in stages by Edaalate Ali since February, include the cases of at least 327 Christians prosecuted in the Tehran area between July 2008 and January 2023, including at least seven ordained ministers. Of the 327 individuals, the vast majority (around 90%) were converts to Christianity; 60% were male; there were eight foreign nationals; three dual nationals; and 22 Christians of Assyrian or Armenian descent – whose faith is recognised by the Islamic Republic, unlike that of converts. The most common charge, referenced in 86% of cases, was “propaganda against the state [by promoting Christianity]”, followed by membership (69%) or leadership (58%) of “anti-security” groups (house-churches). Other common charges included “insulting Islamic sanctities” (42% of cases) and “gathering and collusion against national security” (30%), while 34 individuals were charged with “disturbing public opinion”; 30 with “disrupting peace and order”; 28 with “insulting the Supreme Leader”; 26 with possession of satellite receivers; and 25 with “apostasy”. Two individuals were accused of “spying”, and in another case the managers of three online shops which sold Christian books were charged with “selling deviant evangelistic materials” and “hurting public modesty and morals through the display, promotion and sale of evangelistic books and items”. Other charges included: “Disobeying officers performing their duty” [because Iranian-Assyrian church leader Rev Sargez Benyamin resisted the forced closure of his church without a warrant]; “Acting against the country’s national security through the administration of illegal organisations of the Iranian Evangelical Council” [though the council was officially registered prior to the 1979 revolution and again afterwards]; and “Foreign trips and communicating and cooperating with evangelistic organisations and spy services” [for a senior pastor who travelled abroad to attend gatherings with other church leaders]. Given that the 327 cases relate only to the Tehran region, they represent a mere drop in the ocean of all convictions of Christians over the 15-year period, especially as Article18 documented a further 37 cases in the Tehran region over those 15 years which were not included in the leaked files, involving at least 96 individuals. It is also worth noting that the majority of cases (58%) in the leaked files were not previously known to Article18, highlighting the challenge of documenting cases that the individuals or their families choose not to publicise. What else does the data show? 1. ‘Propaganda’ terminology The most common charge against Christians, as noted above, was that they had engaged in “propaganda” against the Islamic Republic – essentially by being seen to “promote” a different belief system. Common terms used in court documents against Christians included “propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran …” “in favour of its opponents”; “for the benefit of groups opposed to the system”; “through mis-propaganda activities in the form of evangelical Christianity”; or “that contradicts and disturbs the holy Islamic law”. “Publication of” or “spreading” “lies” was another way in which the accusation was framed, as in the case of Iranian-Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, who was accused of “publishing lies through the publication of evangelical teachings”. Separately, four converts were accused of “spreading lies by promoting evangelical Christianity”, while another Christian was accused of “publishing lies with the intention of confusing the public mind”. 2. Vilification and delegitimisation of evangelicals The leaked documents also reveal the common practice of ordinary Christian worship being labelled “cultic”, “anti-revolutionary”, or a “security risk”, with the clear aim of stigmatising Christian groups that do not conform to government criteria of “acceptable Christians”. Prosecutors and judges frequently use labels such as “Zionists”, “evangelicals”, “deviant” or “illegal sects”, in a clear attempt to distinguish between converts to Christianity – whose change in faith is not recognised – and the tolerated Christians of Armenian and Assyrian descent. One example is found in the indictment against a woman named A. Yazdani, a Christian convert, which is replete with such labels, as shown in the below extract: “Evangelical Christianity has targeted the foundations of the Muslim people’s faith in the interests of global [powers] and is weakening the foundations of families by spreading unruliness. This sect has attempted to conduct a soft revolution against the Islamic Republic by changing the Shiite beliefs of the people and promoting immorality… Evangelistic Christianity in Iran seeks to weaken the foundation of the family and diminish the Islamic teachings and promote sexual promiscuity and fight against the necessities of Islam, including the Islamic hijab, as well as cleansing the evils of America and especially the occupying regime of Israel.” The judge in the case goes on to specifically cite the famous October 2010 speech of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in which he warned that the spread of house-churches was among the ways in which the foundations of Iranians’ Muslim faith – and especially that of the younger generation – was intentionally “being shaken” by the “enemies of Islam”. The judge also quotes the words of another ayatollah, Vahid Khorasani, who said evangelical Christianity and house-churches were “causing an uproar” in Iran and that it was “the duty of the government to stand against them”. “Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi and Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani have also expressed their concern regarding the propaganda of the Evangelical sect and the activities of house-churches, and have warned the authorities,” he added. In another case, that of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and three other converts sentenced to 10 years in prison, two letters from recognised church leaders were used to paint house-church members as “a Western-oriented, anti-religious and deviant scattered group”, who “by abusing the general title of ‘Christianity’ are forming deviant sects and congregations and working against the security of the country”. The judge uses these letters to suggest that “the official religions in the country, including Christianity … and the bishops of the churches who are active in Iran, did not accept this sect and do not recognise it”. Article18’s director, Mansour Borji, explains: “It should be noted that Evangelical Protestant churches, which were shutdown one after the other, especially since 2009, were all once officially registered and recognised churches. They came increasingly under pressure when they refused to abandon the national language of Persian in their worship services, allowing the opportunity for people from all other faith groups to join their congregation. There are still a handful of Evangelical Protestant churches operating with the full knowledge of the Iranian authorities, albeit now open only to ethnic Armenian or Assyrians.” 3. Bibles portrayed as criminal goods Another notable trend is the frequent reference in court documents to the Christian holy book as evidence of a crime. In one case, Bibles in the evangelical church of Iranian-Assyrian pastor Rev Sargez Benyamin are referred to as “unauthorised evangelical items”. In another case, they are termed “deviant books”, and in another “divisive books”. The “smuggling” of Bibles is listed among accusations in numerous other cases, termed a “propaganda activity against the regime”, while Christian literature sold online is described as “providing grounds for people’s corruption”. 4. Violations of Article 23 Article 23 of Iran’s Constitution states: “The investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no-one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.” There are clear examples of violations of this article in the leaked documents, such as in the text of one warrant, which specifically orders the investigating officers to probe the beliefs of a Christian convert, stating: “In the investigation, it should be determined from the accused: a) What religion and orientation did the accused believe in?” b) In what way has he converted to Christianity? c) What methods did he use to attract other people to Christianity? d) In which places has he organised house-church and preaching and teaching activities of evangelical Christianity?” This is while Iranian authorities repeatedly claim that “no one is arrested or detained for their faith or belief”. Meanwhile, a letter from another Christian included in another case file describes how he and his wife were made to confess their crimes on camera and ask for forgiveness, as well as being forced to participate in Islamic classes and break contact with other Christians. “From the beginning of the date recorded in the case until today, and at any other time, we have not and will not have any dealings with any of those people, and during all this time we had every necessary cooperation with the judicial authorities and the intelligence agents by attending the classes of Islamic jurisprudence,” the letter states. “We also cooperated in confessing in front of the camera, as requested by brothers in the Ministry of Intelligence. I implore you, respected authorities, given the fact that we have two children, and sick parents, to agree to our request and grant us pardon and forgiveness.” 5. Criminalisation of Christian rites and common practices Alongside accounts of the flogging of individuals for drinking Communion wine, “acquiring wealth through illegal means” is a term used against at least two church leaders for receiving tithes and offerings that were used to help those in need. In an indictment, it is stated: “The accused has led his son and daughter to the Evangelical sect and has organised Communion for them. The accused has been very devoted to the Evangelical sect in such a way that he used to pay her tithes regularly. At first, she paid her tithes to the Assemblies of God church.” 6. The example of Alex Finally, one stand-out case – that of a dual national by the name of Alexander B. – is so replete with examples of the above themes that we have dedicated an entire article to it, which can be read here.
The case of Alexander B. 29 August 2024 Features (Illustrative image) Of all the examples in the leaked Edaalate Ali files pertaining to Christians, one case stands out: that of a dual national by the name of Alexander B, who at nearly 80 years old was sentenced to five years in prison for attending a house-church. The court documents in the case are replete with examples of how Iran’s judiciary seeks to distinguish between the different branches of Christianity, as evidenced below. Who is Alexander B.? An Iranian-Armenian Christian, nearly 80 years of age at the time of the court case in 2022, who was born in Rasht, northern Iran, but emigrated to the US. His lawyers described him as “a dignified and calm man of faith, who aside from political issues loves Iran as his homeland and birthplace, and respects and adheres to the laws and systems of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. What was he accused of? The long list of accusations against Alex included: “membership in the community under the name of a home church of ‘Zionist Evangelical Christianity’, with the aim of disrupting the security of the country”; “gathering and colluding against the country’s security”; “disturbing the public mind and disrupting social order through Christian publications with the aim of attracting Muslims”; and “insulting Islamic sacred things”. What did the prosecutor say? The main points of Mohammad Nasirpour, head of the 33rd Prosecutor’s Office of Tehran, including quotes from Iran’s two Supreme Leaders, are outlined below: Supreme Leaders’ warnings “According to Imam Khomeini’s statements, ‘We have no enmity with Christians, Jews, and other nations, and we do not prevent [their] religious schools in any way, as long as they are for teaching and learning, but if we understand that these schools are different in Iran, they are to us the same as the ‘den of spies’ [US embassy] … and if we understand that in our Tehran, the centres of propaganda of the Church, Zionism, and Baha’ism have been created, which mislead people and distance them from the rules and teachings of Islam, isn’t it our duty to destroy these centres that harm Islam?’ “And according to the words of Imam Khamenei, ‘From the spread of unrestrained and immorality, to the promotion of false mysticism, to the promotion of Baha’ism, to the promotion of the network of house-churches, these are the things that the enemies of Islam are doing today with study, planning and foresight … to weaken religion in the society.’” Protestants a ‘security threat’ “Armenian and Assyrian Christians in the Catholic and Orthodox religions are aligned with the Islamic Revolution and are even considered an opportunity to advance the goals of the Islamic Revolution. However, Armenian and Assyrian Christians in the Protestant religion, with their evangelistic nature and the mission of Christianising Iran, are considered a security threat for the Islamic Revolution.” ‘Enemy’ “Persian-language, evangelical movements are supported by fundamentalist evangelical Christians and Zionists … [who] consider Shiism their biggest enemy and consider it their religious duty to fight against it. “Since American Zionist Christians consider the Islamic Republic as their enemy, they do not stop any hostile efforts against Iran, and they use the evangelistic activity in Iran as an action against the security of the Islamic Republic … by destroying and humiliating the dear Islam and promoting Islamophobia and casting doubts on the beliefs of Muslims, especially young people who are suffering for example from financial or emotional problems.” ‘Command centre’ in US “The main command and planning centre of this movement is located in the United States and is accompanied by the intellectual and financial support of the Zionist regime and England.” ‘Deviant sects’ “The formation of a house-church is contrary to the religious ceremonies of authentic Christians. These [house-]churches … are not approved by authentic Christians and are deviant sects. “These deviant branches of Christianity … are trying to expand by using all the tools, including the formation of house-churches, satellite networks, radio, publishing books and virtual space, and financial attraction in the form of secret and underground pyramid networks. Their propaganda umbrella is aimed at creating deviation in the minds of Muslims in order to tend to these sects. “Taking into account that the purpose of forming house-churches and evangelistic activities by these sects in the Islamic Republic of Iran is to attract Muslims to Zionist Christianity, and it is completely dependent on the international Zionist intelligence services, with people converting from Islam there will be no trace of the Islamic Republic system. Therefore, the act of forming a house-church, and evangelistic activity, is considered to be with the aim of disrupting the country’s security. ‘No need for secret churches’ “With more than 250 active, semi-active and historical churches in the country for the religious activity of Christians, there is no reason for secret and hidden activity and the formation of a house-church … And no license has been issued for the activity of these churches and associations.” How did his lawyers respond? Alex’s lawyers, Alireza Thaqfi and Mohammed Kialashki, were highly critical of the investigating officers in their long submission to the appeal court, including the following observations: House-churches ‘religious’, not anti-security “What is referred to as ‘membership’ [of an anti-security organisation] is only attendance at prayer meetings and gatherings of groups of friends … A ‘house-church’, as its name suggests, is a place to perform activities similar to what is done in a church, for the purpose of prayer and religious practices.” Misuse of ‘Zionist’ terminology “Giving the adjective ‘Zionist’ … is only for the purpose of condensing the case and to magnify and make his actions appear important, such that through this method an innocent person is accused and punished.” Disproportionate punishment “He was sentenced to five years in prison, which considering the age of the client … and his lack of any criminal record, and lack of knowledge about the prohibition of participation in friendly meetings and performing religious ceremonies [in a house-church] and the absence of specific malice, is very heavy.” Prisoner exchange the ‘ultimate goal’ “The repeated questions and interrogations [make] it quite clear that the motive of the prosecutor was only to add to the volumes of the case in order to make the charge appear big and the accused so valuable that he can exchange them with the prisoners wanted by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for exchange in America.” ‘So many illegalities’ “There are so many illegalities in the case that it is not possible to describe all of them in this text, and I invite the honourable judges to examine the questions and actions of the honourable interrogator carefully, recognising that the client is only an accused and not a criminal, and asking whether the law and criminal procedure – which are mandatory laws – have been followed in the investigation process or not.” ‘Pure lie’ “There are obvious interferences and false statements made against the client, and use of words such as ‘Evangelical visiting [pastor]’, attributing statements to the client which he has not uttered, adding the names of some countries and provinces as the client’s travel destinations to which he has not travelled… “The job of the client is mentioned as the ‘pastor of a house-church of Zionist Christianity’, while the job of the client is a driver … and the interrogator has no right to attribute a job to the client based on his imagination, which has nothing to do with the client and is a pure lie.” Regarding biblical prophecy of ‘establishing throne’ in Iran “The investigator of the case … [claims] the above contents are in the client’s handwriting, while the aforementioned contents are printed texts from the Bible.” ‘Goal to convict’ “The investigator of the case, who is neither an expert in Christianity nor has complete information about it, is trying to define the word ‘evangelism’, a word whose meaning can be understood with a simple reference to the dictionary, but he has made up his own definition – to fulfil his goal of convicting the client.” Regarding ‘acting against national security’ “The most important part of the charge is ‘gathering to disturb the security of the country’. What is the security of the country? What are the elements of a country’s security? What were the client’s limited actions related to the country’s security? How was this big accusation against the client confirmed? “From a legal point of view, there is no connection between the behaviour of the client and the disruption of the order and security of our beloved country and the Islamic system, and no reason has been presented in the case, except that the interrogator of the case, by collecting false terms … intends to incite such an accusation against the client in the reader’s mind. “Action against national security means actions that directly and knowingly target national security and intend to weaken it. “In this regard, firstly the client had no intention of such an action. Secondly, his action in participating in home meetings was just … to pray according to his religion. Therefore, the gathering of several people in one house does not mean an illegal organisation.” Regarding ‘aim of attracting Muslims’ “The irregular gatherings attended by the client were with his fellow believers and there were no Muslims … So far in this case there is not even a single example that a Muslim person was attracted to Christianity.” Regarding ‘insulting Islamic sacred things’ “It is not clear how this accusation was attributed to the client, while there is no statement or evidence of insulting the client against Islam, but the client, as a Christian believer, declared his [respect of] Islam in his statements in the case.” Regarding ‘acquiring illegal property’ “I am very sorry to have to say that there is no reason or evidence in the file regarding this, and the accusation is only because of the client’s statement that he received 600 dollars of aid from a church. While tithes are money that Christians pay to the church and not to a person.” Regarding ‘holding educational meetings, especially in Muslims’ homes’ “As the interrogator of the case does not find any Muslim among the mentioned names, he mentions these Christian people as Muslim-born to fill the said void with this title.”