The US State Department has denounced the sentencing of five Iranian Christians to a combined over 50 years in prison.

In a post on its Persian-language social media platforms on Thursday, the State Department said it “strongly condemns” Iran’s “repression of religious minorities”, adding that “no one should be imprisoned for their beliefs – be they a Christian like Aida Najaflou, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, Joseph and Lida Shahbazian … or a Baha’i, Kurd, Sunni Muslim or any other minority”.

ایالات متحده سرکوب اقلیت‌های دینی توسط رژیم جمهوری اسلامی را شدیداً محکوم می‌کند. هیچ‌کس نباید به‌خاطر باورهای خود زندانی شود، چه مسیحی باشد مانند آیدا نجف‌لو، ناصر نورد گل‌تپه، ژوزف شهبازیان و لیدا آلکسانی که هم‌اکنون به‌خاطر ایمان خود در زندان هستند، چه بهایی، کلیمی، مسلمان سنی… pic.twitter.com/QQhIU1G1cI

— USAbehFarsi (@USABehFarsi) December 11, 2025

“Freedom of religion is a basic human right,” the post concluded. “We demand the immediate release of all religious prisoners and ask the Iranian government to respect the rights and dignity of all its citizens.”

The four Christians named by the State Department, as well as a fifth whose name has not been made public, were recently sentenced to a combined more than 50 years in prison on charges related to ordinary Christian activities, such as praying, reading the Bible and celebrating Christmas.

At least nine Christians have been handed prison sentences of 10 years or more in 2025, while at least 21 Christians are serving sentences in Iran related to their religious beliefs or activities.