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 Sergez 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 Sergez 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 lease 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.