Exposing Corruption Network and Systematic Confiscation of Christian Property through Illegal Sale of Chaldean Church Properties in Urmia

With the exposure of the illegal sale of properties belonging to the Chaldean Church in Urmia, once again the curtain has been lifted on the corruption network involving the sale and systematic confiscation of Christian assets.

The exposure of the illegal sale of several properties belonging to the Chaldean Catholic Church in Urmia has once again drawn attention to the difficult situation of Christians in Iran and how the government deals with the assets of religious minorities. This case, which was first publicly revealed on February 22 by the “Patriarch” website of the Chaldean Catholic Church through an official statement, quickly became a controversial topic among the Assyrian and Chaldean community both inside and outside Iran.

With the involvement of Imad Khoshabe, the Chaldean and Assyrian Bishop of Iran, in pursuing legal action and efforts to recover church properties, this case has now entered a new phase; a phase that could further reveal the hidden dimensions of corruption and encroachment on the assets of religious minorities in Iran.

According to an announcement published by the Patriarch website of the Chaldean Church, the sale of these properties, which included an elderly care home and the bishop’s residence building, was carried out by an individual who was serving as the financial administrator of the bishop’s office at that time.

In this statement, it is mentioned that this misappropriation occurred during a period when the church faced a management vacuum following the retirement of Thomas Meron, the former bishop; circumstances that apparently created conditions for the illegal transfer of church assets.

Published reports show that an individual named Darwin Varda, who was the church’s financial administrator, is at the center of this case. According to church sources, the property sales were conducted without the full knowledge of the main church institutions, and now the Assyrian and Chaldean Christian community demands clarification of all aspects of this matter.

According to informed sources, Bishop Imad Khoshabe traveled to Urmia to conduct a detailed investigation of this case and pursue the return of church properties. This matter did not remain confined to inside Iran and became a heated topic of discussion among the diaspora Assyrian community in America as well.

Some activists in this community have even accused Thomas Meron, the former bishop, of having a role in the process of selling these properties. He reportedly emigrated to the United States after his retirement and currently lives there.

One of the concerning aspects of this case is the new owner’s attempt to demolish the church’s historic buildings using construction machinery.

This action reportedly took place before the onset of military tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States. However, church authorities and members of the Christian community in the region have made efforts to prevent the destruction of these structures to preserve the possibility of returning the properties to the church.

In a statement published by the Chaldean Patriarch website, it is stated that Iranian judicial authorities arrested the church’s financial administrator. However, he was released after some time on bail.

Investigations into this case continue, and church lawyers, under the supervision of Bishop Imad Khoshabe, are pursuing legal action to recover the properties.

The Assyrian and Chaldean community of Iran, which was once considered one of the most important and vibrant branches of Christianity in the Middle East, today faces a severe population decline.

According to informal estimates, the remaining Assyrian and Chaldean population in Iran is now estimated at only between 1,500 to 4,000 people. Many members of this community have been forced to leave the country over the past decades due to social, economic, and religious pressures.

The recent Urmia case did not occur in a vacuum. Since the triumph of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, numerous reports have been published about the confiscation or seizure of Christian-owned properties in Iran.

In many cases, these confiscations have been carried out by revolutionary court orders or government institutions. For example, in one notable case, a property belonging to the Council of Churches of the Evangelical Congregation of Iran called “Sharon Garden” was confiscated by a revolutionary court order and seized for the benefit of the Executive Headquarters of the Imam’s Decree.

This property, which was purchased before the revolution, was used as a location for camps and religious gatherings of Christians and was estimated to be worth several million dollars.

Other reports have also been published about church closures, confiscation of hospitals, and properties belonging to the Christian community. After the revolution, many churches were closed and their properties were seized by the government.

In some cases, even Christian historic buildings have been demolished, including the historic Christian cemetery in Kermanshah, parts of which were allocated for urban development.

Critics argue that this process has effectively become a type of “structural pressure” to reduce the presence of religious minorities in Iran.

Given the history of sales and confiscation of religious minorities’ properties in Iran, many observers believe that the case of the Chaldean Church property sales in Urmia is not merely a local corruption case, but rather part of a broader pattern.

In this pattern, the assets of religious minorities, which often have less political and media power, are subject to confiscation, forced sale, or destruction.

If ongoing investigations can reveal the truth, the Urmia case may become one of the most important examples of exposing encroachment on the assets of religious minorities in Iran.