Latest Reports Independent Review of UK Support for Persecuted ChristiansReportsAlthough Christians in the Armenian and Assyrian churches may practise their faith within strict confines, persecution in Iran is on the rise for others and most of it is targeted at Christians from a Muslim background and Protestant Christians. Just before Christmas 2018, 114 Christians were arrested, several house churches were raided in nine different cities, and the arrests continued into 2019. On his return to Iran in February 1979, Khomeini promised religious freedom to Christians and other religious minority groups. Just eight days after the revolution, Arastoo Sayah, an Anglican pastor, was beheaded in his church office in Shiraz. The brutality of the early revolution has given way to systematic pressure and intense persecution against Christians during the past 40 years. As more disillusioned Iranians turn to Christianity, the regime intensifies their intimidation against Christians. Almost all Farsi speaking Christian churches were closed down or forced to change their language to Armenian or Assyrian. (The only Farsi churches open are the Anglican/Episcopal churches in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. However, the churches have been controlled and monitored by the state and converts are not allowed to attend those churches.) House churches have been regularly targeted, their members and leaders have been arrested and imprisoned. Since October 2010, the state has started a new campaign against Christians by propagating hate speech and incitement of hatred against Christians on state sponsored media. The vast majority of hate propaganda is against Protestant Christians and converts to Christianity accusing them of treason, “plotting against the regime and Islam,” “being part of the West’s soft war against the regime,” and “being spies of the West and Israel.” In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF, once again, listed Iran as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for severe violation of human rights and religious freedom. Open Doors World Watch List has also listed Iran number 9 in its 2019 annual report....DownloadUS Commission on International Religious Freedom 2019 Annual ReportReportsIran remains among the world’s most egregious violators of religious freedom, according to the 20th annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The report, released today, recommends that, as in every year since 1999, Iran be listed among the US State Department’s Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs) “for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations”. “In 2018, religious freedom conditions in Iran trended in a negative direction relative to 2017,” USCIRF says, adding that the Iranian government “heightened its systematic targeting” of religious minorities such as Christians, Baha’is, and Sunni and Sufi Muslims. The report notes the “dramatic uptick” in documented arrests of Christians – 171 in 2018 compared to 16 in 2017 – particularly in the run up to Christmas, when 114 Christians were arrested in just one week. “Christians arrested in Iran are often treated and charged as enemies of the state, and lawyers who take on their cases face the threat of detention,” the report says. “Christians have been sentenced to prison terms for holding private Christmas gatherings, organizing and conducting house churches, and traveling abroad to attend Christian seminars. Evangelical Christian communities face repression because many conduct services in Persian and proselytize to those outside their community. Pastors of house churches are often charged with national security-related crimes and apostasy.” USCIRF specifically references the cases of Youcef Nadarkhani, Hagi Asgari, Amin Afshar-Naderi, Saheb Fadaie and Fatemeh Bakhteri, and the Bet-Tamraz family, all of which have been highlighted by Article18. USCIRF also notes that despite President Hassan Rouhani “signalling his intent to address some religious freedom violations, these promises have yet to be implemented”. It notes that in December 2016 he released a Charter on Citizens’ Rights that promised, among other rights, recognition of all religious identities and nondiscriminatory legal protection. “However, since his reelection in May 2017, religious minorities in Iran have seen little change based on this document.” USCIRF makes the following recommendations to the US government: • Speak out publicly and frequently at all levels about the severe religious freedom abuses in Iran, and highlight the need for the international community to hold authorities accountable in specific cases; • Identify Iranian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom, freeze those individuals’ assets, and bar their entry into the United States, as delineated under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA), the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, and related executive orders, citing specific religious freedom violations; • Press for and work to secure the release of all prisoners of conscience, including Youcef Nadarkhani, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, and Mohammad Ali Taheri; • Work with European allies to use advocacy, diplomacy, and targeted sanctions to pressure Iran to end religious freedom abuses, especially leading up to Iran’s 2019 Universal Periodic Review; • Develop and utilize new technologies to counter censorship and to facilitate the free flow of information in and out of Iran. And for the US Congress to: • Reauthorize and ensure implementation of the Lautenberg Amendment, which aids persecuted Iranian religious minorities seeking refugee status in the United States....DownloadReport: Violations of the rights of Christians in Iran in 2018ReportsThis report is the result of collaboration between Article18, Middle East Concern, CSW, and Open Doors International. Executive Summary During 2018, the Iranian Christian community, along with other religious minorities, continued to suffer multiple violations of their right to freedom of religion or belief. Ongoing surveillance of Christians by the authorities was often accompanied by harassment. The end of 2018 saw an unprecedented wave of raids on private house gatherings, leading to a large number of arrests. Many Christians received prison sentences, or had sentences upheld by the Court of Appeal. Most of the reported violations involved converts from Islam, but there were also several instances where members of the recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities were imprisoned or sentenced to jail terms due to their religious activities. Recognised church buildings remained closed to ethnic Persian Christians and, in several cases, church property remained under threat of confiscation. Introduction – Freedom of Religion or Belief Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions. Although Iran ratified the ICCPR in 1975, it fails to uphold the values enshrined in it, including the right to freedom of religion or belief for all of its citizens. This report records the violations experienced by the Christian community during 2018. Ongoing Violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief Religious and political leaders in Iran continue to speak out against Christianity. It is therefore unsurprising that the Christian community experiences repression in various forms. The Iranian intelligence service (MOIS) closely monitors Christian activity and, together with the Revolutionary Guard (IRCG), has raided Christian gatherings in private homes, arresting all in attendance and confiscating personal property. Those arrested have been subjected to intensive and often abusive interrogation. In June 2018, Christian convert Fatemeh Mohammadi released a letter detailing the sexually abusive interrogation she had undergone when she was arrested and detained in Evin Prison in Tehran. House church networks and the targeting of converts to Christianity For nearly a decade, Persian Christians, who are generally converts from Islam, have been prohibited from entering official church buildings. They have consequently been forced to resort to informal meetings, frequently called “house churches”, which are regularly targeted by the security services. This prohibition, and the subsequent targeting of house churches, not only constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief, but also of the right of peaceful assembly and association. Not only did the prohibition continue in 2018; there were also regular reports of house churches being raided, with a surge during November and December 2018 as arrests were reported in the cities of Ahvaz, Chalus, Damavand, Hamedan, Hashtgerd, Karaj, Mashhad, Rasht, Shahinshahr and Tehran. In one week alone, one hundred and fourteen Christians were reported to have been arrested. In March 2018, twenty Christians associated with house churches were arrested in Karaj and six were detained. On 10 April 2018, Christian convert Mohammad Ali Yassaghi was arrested in Mazandaran Province, North Iran. He was held in Babol Prison, Mazandaran Province, on charges of “propaganda against the establishment.” On 25 June 2018, Mohammad Ali Yassaghi was brought before a judge in the 102 Revolutionary Court of Babol. The judge acquitted him, rejecting the charges. It was reported that on 17 and 18 June 2018 five Christian converts had been arrested in Karaj and West Tehran. Those arrested were named as Razmik Zadourian, Shahab Bani Bayat, Mohammad Mohaghegh Dolatabadi, Shahin Shakib, and Vahid Dehghani. On 16 November 2018, two Christian converts were arrested after arranging to hold a meeting in Mashhad. Behnam Ersali was arrested in Mashhad and Davood Rasooli was arrested in Karaj. On 30 November 2018 Jamshid Derakhshan, a Christian convert from Karaj, was arrested as he went to a house gathering in Hashtgerd. His family was unaware of his whereabouts for nearly two weeks. He was released on bail on 16 December and charged with “propagation of Zionist evangelical Christianity.” On 2 December 2018 four Christian converts were arrested in Ahvaz. Sisters Shima and Shokoofeh Zanganeh were arrested together with Farzad Behzadizadeh and Abdollah Yousefi. Shima and Shokoofeh Zanganeh were both physically assaulted during interrogation. Shokoofeh Zanganeh was released on bail of US$44000 on 25 December, and Shima was released on bail of US$44000 on 31 December 2018. On 6 December 2018 intelligence agents raided the home of Amir Taleipour and his wife, Mahnaz Harati, arresting them in front of their 7-year old daughter. In December 2018 nine Christian converts were arrested in Alborz province during Christmas celebrations. In 2018 there were many reports of Christians, mainly converts, being arrested. Those arrested often faced pressure to recant their faith or sign commitments not to meet with other Christians. Those who did not comply were detained and generally faced charges related to evangelism, engaging in “illegal” house churches or acting against “national security.” They were eventually released conditionally on payment of bail pending a court summons. As a result of the pervasive and ongoing repression, during 2018 Christian converts and those from ethnic minorities continued to flee the country. Church closures and violation of property rights In 2018 churches which used to hold services for Farsi-speaking Persian Christians remained closed. These include St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church and Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Tehran, Assemblies of God Central Church, Tehran, and Assemblies of God churches in Janat-Abad, Ahvaz, and Shahinshahr among others. In addition, the Assemblies of God retreat centre in Karaj, the Garden of Sharron, was issued a confiscation order on 7 March 2018. Imprisoned Christians A number of Iranian Christians are either still serving prison sentences or were released in 2018. Several appealed their sentences during 2018. However, with few exceptions, the sentences were upheld. In January 2018 Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh was detained and began serving a 10-year prison sentence in Evin Prison for “acting against national security through forming and establishing illegal house churches.” On 2 May 2018, Yousef Nadarkhani, Yasser Mossayebzadeh, Zaman (Saheb) Fadaee and Mohammad Reza Omidi were informed that the 10-year prison sentences given on 14 June 2017 at the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran for “acting against the national security through propagating house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity” had been upheld. On 22 July 2018, ten police officers arrived at Yousef Nadarkhani’s home and physically assaulted Yousef Nadarkhani’s son, Danial, when he opened the door to them. Both Yousef Nadarkhani and his son were tasered, despite offering no resistance. Mohammad Reza Omidi and Zaman (Saheb) Fadaee were arrested on 24 July and Yasser Mossayebzadeh on 25 July before being taken to Evin Prison to serve their sentences. The men had received no official summons prior to the arrests. On 25 April 2018 there was a preliminary appeal hearing for Rev. Victor Bet Tamraz, an ethnic Assyrian, and Christian converts Kavian Fallah Mohammadi, Hadi Asgari and Amin Nader Afshari. Rev. Victor Bet Tamraz, Kavian Fallah Mohammadi and Amin Nader Afshari were arrested at a private Christmas celebration on 26 December 2014. Amin Nader Afshari was re-arrested at a picnic in August 2016, together with Hadi Asgari and Ramil Bet Tamraz (see below). In June 2017, Judge Ahmadzadeh sentenced Rev. Victor Bet Tamraz, Kavian Fallah Mohammadi and Hadi Asgari to 10-years’ each for “conducting evangelism and illegal house church activities.” Amin Nader Afshari was sentenced to 15-years’ imprisonment for “conducting evangelism, illegal house church activities and insulting Islamic sanctities.” On 6 January 2018, Shamiram Issavi Khabizeh, the wife of Rev. Victor Bet Tamraz, was sentenced to 5-years’ imprisonment for “membership of a group with the purpose of disrupting national security and another five years in prison for “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security.” An appeal is ongoing – the first session of the Court of Appeal has since been held. In May 2018, Majidreza Souzanchi Kushani, a Christian convert detained in Evin Prison, was sentenced to 5-years’ imprisonment for “membership of evangelistic groups and conducting evangelism.” Majidreza Souzanchi and Fatemeh Mohammadi, another Christian convert, had been arrested in November 2017. On 20 June 2018, 12 Christian converts from Bushehr were given prison sentences of one year each for “propaganda activities against the regime through the formation of house churches.” They were also under intense pressure to recant their faith. On 11 July 2018, Ramil Bet Tamraz, son of Rev. Victor Bet Tamraz, was sentenced to prison for four months for “spreading Christian propaganda.” The sentence is being appealed. On 22 September 2018, Zaman (Saheb) Fadaee – already serving a 10-year sentence in Evin Prison – received an 18-month prison sentence for “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Fatemeh Bakteri received a 12-month sentence for the same charges. The following table includes cases which have appeared in public reports, and does not constitute a comprehensive record of every Christian currently detained in Iran: Name Place Detention began Released Length of prison sentence (if convicted) Ebrahim Firouzi Karaj 2013 – 5 years Sevada Aghasar Tehran 2017 – 5 years Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh Tehran Jan 2018 – 10 years Hadi Asgari Tehran 2016 April 2018 on bail 10 years Majidreza Souzanchi Kushani Tehran 2017 – 5 years Ali Amini Tabriz 2017 April 2018 Fatemeh Mohammadi Tehran 2017 April 2018 6 months Yousef Nadarkhani Tehran July 2018 – 10 years Aziz Majidzadeh Tehran March 2018 May 2018 on bail Mohammad Ali Yassaghi Babol April 2018 June 2018 Yasser Mossayebzadeh Tehran July 2018 – 10 years Saheb Fadaie Tehran July 2018 – 10 years Mohammad Reza Omidi Tehran July 2018 – 10 years Behnam Ersali Mashhad Nov. 2018 Davood Rasooli Karaj Nov. 2018 Shokoofeh Zanganeh Ahvaz Dec. 2018 25 Dec. 2018 on bail Shima Zanganeh Ahvaz Dec. 2018 31 Dec. 2018 on bail Farzad Behzadizadeh Ahvaz Dec. 2018 Abdollah Yousefi Ahvaz Dec. 2018 Jamshid Derakhshan Karaj Dec. 2018 16 Dec. 2018 on bail Amir Taleipour Mashhad Dec. 2018 Mahnaz Harati Mashhad Dec. 2018 Recommendations The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has an obligation under international law to respect, protect and fulfil the right to freedom of religion or belief. We therefore call: For the immediate and unconditional release of Christians detained on spurious charges related to their faith or religious activities, and For the government of Iran to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief for every citizen regardless of their ethnic or linguistic group, and including converts from other religions. We also call on members of the international community to assist in holding Iran accountable for upholding its obligation to ensure and facilitate freedom of religion or belief for all of its citizens by highlighting this principle during political or economic discussions with, or concerning, the nation. Finally, we ask the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to consider investigating and issuing a report on the ongoing mistreatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran. ...DownloadHuman Rights Watch World Report 2019ReportsIran’s mistreatment of religious minorities, including the imprisonment of 37 converts to Christianity, is highlighted in the Iran chapter of Human Rights Watch’s latest annual World Report. “As of September 30, Iran has sentenced 37 Christians who converted from Muslim backgrounds to imprisonment for ‘missionary work’,” notes the report, citing Article18 as the source of the information. HRW also highlights the sentencing of at least 208 Dervishes; the detention of at least 79 Baha’is, and the refusal to allow them to register at public universities “because of their faith”; the discrimination faced by Sunnis; the cultural and political restrictions placed on Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis; and the case of Yazd city councillor Sepanta Niknam, a Zoroastrian, who was suspended from his work because of his religion. The report also notes the reaction of Iran’s security forces to the numerous nationwide protests in 2018: “arbitrary mass arrests and serious due process violations”. “Authorities have also tightened their grip on peaceful activism, detaining lawyers and human rights defenders who face charges that could lead to long jail terms,” says HRW. HRW’s report also highlights: The execution of at least 225 people, with “apostasy” and “insulting the prophet [of Islam]” among crimes punishable by death in Iran.The continued detention of scores of human rights defenders and political activists.The failure to provide fair trials and adequate medical care to those charged with national-security crimes (among them several Christians); and the suspected use of torture to extract confessionsDiscrimination against women in “personal status matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody”.Stigma and discrimination against disabled people, and failure to provide them with sufficient access to social services, healthcare and public transportation.Iran’s continued role in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. ...Download2018 US Commission on International Religious Freedom ReportReportsThe U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has cited Iran among the main contributing countries towards an “ongoing downward trend” in religious liberty worldwide and asked the State Department to re-designate Iran as a “country of particular concern”, or CPC, for “egregious” religious-freedom violations. The report noted: “In the past year, religious freedom in Iran continued to deteriorate for both recognised and unrecognised religious groups, with the government targeting Baha’is and Christian converts in particular.” It also reiterated that “evangelical Christians and Christian converts, however, are particularly targeted for repression because many conduct services in Persian and proselytise to those outside their community. Pastors of ‘house churches’ are commonly charged with unfounded national security-related crimes, as well as apostasy and illegal ‘house-church’ activities”. According to the report, violations of religious freedom included a range of severe abuses – from surveillance and legal restrictions, to arbitrary arrest, detention of Christians and the proliferation of anti-Christian publications in Iran....DownloadThe Persecution of Christians in IranReportsThis joint report is the result of a follow-up inquiry into the persecution of Christians in Iran by the Christians in Parliament All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief. The report catalogues the abuses Christians have suffered during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency, despite the optimism he generated with promises to improve civil rights. The report hopes to draw attention to the lack of religious freedom in Iran and to encourage the UK government to prioritise this issue in all dialogue with Iran. The report concludes: “The persecution remains as severe today as it was in 2012.” The report quotes Ajay Shama of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as saying: “There has been no substantive change in Iran’s human-rights record since the election of President Rouhani; in fact, by some indicators you could argue that things have gotten worse.”...DownloadThe Cost of Faith: Persecution of Christian Protestants and Converts in IranReportsArticle18 contributed to this 2013 report, which documents the rights violations of Protestant Christians in Iran within the context of international human rights laws and the rights guaranteed within Iran’s own constitution. The comprehensive, 73-page report documents a pattern of rights violations that extend to all walks of life for Protestant converts in Iran: they face severe restrictions on religious practice and association, arbitrary arrests and detention for practising their faith, and violations of the right to life through state executions for apostasy, as well as extrajudicial killings. Rights violations listed in this report include: PERSECUTION OF PROTESTANT CONVERTS Violations of the Right to Life Arbitrary Arrest and Detention Torture and Ill-Treatment of Detainees Lack of Due Process and Access to a Lawyer Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly and Association Monitoring and Harassment Attacks on Free Expression and Access to Information DISCRIMINATION Employment Discrimination Discrimination in Education Discrimination in Marriage and Family Life Discrimination in Access to Justice...DownloadThe Persecution of Christians in Iran (2012)ReportsThis joint report is the result of an inquiry into the persecution of Christians in Iran by the Christians in Parliament All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, whose work is to ensure that religious freedom is a priority for the UK parliament and government. This report catalogues the persecution Christians face in Iran and makes recommendations in the hope of contributing towards an international climate in which the Iranian regime would be forced to reconsider the way Christians are treated. The inquiry heard evidence of the following forms of persecution by the Iranian government directed towards Christians: Execution and extra-judicial killings of pastors, solely on account of their Christian faith Arbitrary arrest and imprisonment without charge or trial Beatings and torture, including physical and psychological torture Intimidation of individual Christians Repression of churches Incommensurate bail demands Appropriation of property, including passports and personal-identification documents Discrimination, particularly within employment and education...Download SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER Subscribe