Arrest of a Christian Convert in Karaj

Kiarash Alipour, spokesperson for 'Article 18 Organization for the Defense of Freedom of Religion and Belief in Iran,' told Radio Farda that on March 2, 2018, when Christian convert Aziz Majidzadeh was present at a workshop near Karaj, where his friends worked, security agents stormed the workshop and arrested him and several of his friends. According to the Article 18 website, 'The security agents arrested about 20 Christian citizens present and confiscated some of their personal belongings, including mobile phones and laptops. After initial interrogations, most of those arrested at the location were released, but Aziz Majidzadeh remains in custody. There has been no news from his place of detention so far.' In recent months, several evangelical Christians have been sentenced to long prison terms. In many cases, the charges against these individuals were 'acting against national security by establishing and participating in house churches.' Mansour Borji, from Article 18, previously stated in an interview with Radio Farda that these accusations are 'baseless' and reflect the Islamic Republic's security approach towards religious minorities. Mr. Borji also mentioned that the treatment of Christian converts is politically motivated and contrary to legal standards. Since the victory of the February 1979 revolution, at least six church leaders have been killed in Iran, and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned. Additionally, the printing of the Bible in Persian has been banned, some churches have been closed, and church ceremonies in Persian have been prevented.