Evangelical church leader and wife arrested in Karaj

Evangelical church leader and wife arrested in Karaj

Mehrdad Sajjadi, a leader at the Emmanuel Evangelical Church in Tehran, was arrested together with his wife Forough Dashtiani on […]

Tehran churches banned from holding services in Persian

Tehran churches banned from holding services in Persian

Two officially registered churches in Tehran have been told they can no longer conduct services in the Persian language, nor […]

Ahvaz Christians arrested ahead of Christmas

Ahvaz Christians arrested ahead of Christmas

The pastor of the Assemblies of God Church in Ahvaz has been detained, alongside his wife and two church members, […]

Converts acquitted of apostasy but jailed for ‘propaganda’

Converts acquitted of apostasy but jailed for ‘propaganda’

Six converts from Islam have been acquitted of “apostasy”, “blasphemy” and “acting against national security” but sentenced to a year […]

Mass arrests of Christians in days after Christmas

Mass arrests of Christians in days after Christmas

Scores of Christians in Tehran and other cities have been arrested in recent daysas part of a mass operation by agents of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence.

Yousef Nadarkhani sentenced to death for apostasy

Yousef Nadarkhani sentenced to death for apostasy

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, a convert from a Muslim background, has been sentenced to death for “apostasy”. Just one Christian leader […]

Pastor Hossein Soodmand remembered, 20 years after his hanging

Pastor Hossein Soodmand remembered, 20 years after his hanging

Twenty years since the hanging of Iranian pastor Hossein Soodmand, a memorial service will be held on Saturday, 4 December, […]

Christians acquitted, released on bail

Christians acquitted, released on bail

A number of reports have reached Article18 in recent days of the release on bail of several Christians, as well […]

Death penalty for apostasy would be ‘serious religious freedom infringement’, EU warns

Death penalty for apostasy would be ‘serious religious freedom infringement’, EU warns

The European Union has expressed concern over the Iranian parliament’s decision to pass a bill that would classify apostasy as a crime punishable by death.

Death penalty for apostasy ‘totally unacceptable’, says German bishop

Death penalty for apostasy ‘totally unacceptable’, says German bishop

A German bishop has condemned the passing through parliament of a bill that would prescribe the death penalty for apostasy from Islam, calling it “totally unacceptable”.