Faith
Iran Detains Christians for Faithful Witness
Faith Facts
- Iran’s regime arrested 53 Christians, accusing them of espionage and anti-security activities after confiscating Bibles and Christian materials.
- State television aired forced confessions and linked Evangelical Christians to foreign intelligence, further targeting the faithful community.
- Most Iranian Christians, primarily converts, face persecution and lack legal places to worship or gather safely.
Recent mass arrests in Iran show the price believers pay for standing firm in their faith under regimes hostile to Christianity. The government continues treating Christian worship, prayer, and gatherings as criminal, targeting religions that threaten oppressive ideologies.
State media broadcasts forced confessions and confiscated Bibles, seeking to shame and silence Christians in a campaign equating faith with disloyalty.
“The clear suggestion being made here is that all Evangelical Christians are associates of Mossad,” said Mansour Borji, director of Article18.
Human rights lawyers and international observers say these Christians likely face unfair trials, denied legal counsel, and suffer persecution for ordinary acts of worship.
In Iran, Armenian and Assyrian Christians may worship but cannot include converts or use Persian, isolating new believers and pushing gatherings underground or abroad.
Many arrested Christians had attended worship events in neighboring countries, as options at home are unsafe or unavailable.
“All those arrested on charges of security, political, ideological or ‘espionage’ offences are denied a fair trial, subjected to severe torture and do not even have access to an independent lawyer,” stated Hossein Ahmadiniaz, a human rights attorney.
Despite pressure and injustice, Iran’s Christians remain steadfast, highlighting the power of faith to withstand tyranny. Their sacrifice is a call for believers everywhere to support religious liberty and defend the right to worship.
Pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and urge leaders to champion religious freedom as a God-given right.