Four Human Rights Organizations: Suppression, Arrest, and Persecution of Christians in Iran Continues

The organization 'Article 18', a non-profit supporting persecuted Christians in Iran, published its sixth annual report on the status of Christians in Iran on February 19. The report, prepared in collaboration with three global Christian organizations 'EMC', 'Open Doors', and 'Global Solidarity', states that many Christians, especially converts, prefer to remain anonymous for various reasons, including security concerns for themselves and their families. The 40-page report indicates that the number of Christians arrested in the year 2023 has increased from 134 in 2022 to 166. This follows a doubling of arrests in 2022 compared to the previous year. The report highlights the Islamic Republic's decades-long actions in shutting down Persian-speaking churches and raiding home churches and the homes of Christians, noting that the government often confiscates copies of the Bible from these Christians and uses them as evidence of crime. According to the report, in 2023, 22 Christians were sentenced without evidence for charges such as 'propaganda against the regime' and 'actions against national security', with 21 of them imprisoned. Although the Iranian constitution recognizes three religious minorities—Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians—Christian converts, like followers of Yarsanism, Mandaeism, and Bahá'ism, are not recognized and are deprived of many civil rights. The four Christian organizations that prepared the report consider the access of Christians to civil and human rights to be contingent on the implementation of human rights and freedoms for all Iranian citizens. They referenced a joint statement from the Iranian Christian community published last September on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, calling for an end to the regime of discrimination and injustice for all Iranians. Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights emphasizes the 'right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion' for all, which includes the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of one's choice, as well as the freedom to express one's religion or beliefs, individually or collectively, publicly or privately, in relation to the observance of religious practices and teachings. However, according to this report, arbitrary arrests, deprivation of education and employment, pressure to leave the country, prohibition of Persian-speaking churches and home churches, and increasing pressure on Christians to participate in Islamic religious classes are among the violations of Christians' rights in Iran. At the end of the report, these four Christian organizations called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to release all Christian prisoners, return confiscated Christian centers to Christians, and cooperate with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the fact-finding committee regarding the protests of 2022. They urged host countries of Iranian Christian refugees and asylum seekers to facilitate their residency and housing conditions and not to return them to Iran, as they would face torture and imprisonment. They also called on the international community to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for failing to fulfill the covenants and treaties it has signed. 'Article 18' also announced that the annual report on Christians will be presented on Tuesday in the British Parliament, hosted by Fiona Bruce, the UK Prime Minister's representative for freedom of religion or belief, Pastor Farhad Sabkhor, Christian activist Shahnaz Jiran, and Mansour Borji, director of 'Article 18'. Christian converts in Iran are under government pressure and are arrested and tried without access to a lawyer. Previously, Hamid Hatami, head of the Persian section of the Christian organization Mehr, explained the situation of arrested Christian converts to Voice of America. One example of pressure on Christian converts in Iran is 'white torture' and the deprivation of Yasser (Mahdi) Akbari, a Christian convert, from visiting his sick child and being prohibited from attending the funeral after his teenage son passed away. Mansour Borji, an official from Article 18, told Voice of America that Yasser Akbari was abroad and went to Iran to see his sick child but was arrested at the airport and was only able to see his child for a few minutes, handcuffed and accompanied by an officer, before his death. Additionally, Sepideh, a Christian convert, recounted the abuses inflicted on converts by their families, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic also deprives Christian converts of certain social rights, including employment.