Amnesty International Report on Widespread and Systematic Human Rights Violations in Iran
Amnesty International released its annual report on widespread and systematic human rights violations in Iran.
Amnesty International released its annual report on April 29, 2025, corresponding to April 19, 1404 in the Persian calendar, documenting widespread and systematic human rights violations in 2024. According to the organization’s statements: “Over the past year, global powers have deliberately weakened the international rules-based system and prevented the resolution of crises affecting the lives of millions of people.”
In this report, which examines the human rights situation in 150 countries, increasing instances of repression, discrimination, climate injustice, and misuse of technology for control and surveillance have been documented. Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, warned in this regard: “At this historic juncture, as authoritarian laws and practices expand worldwide to benefit a small minority, governments and civil society institutions must immediately take action to return humanity to a safer path.”
Part of this 410-page report is dedicated to Iran, and Amnesty International presents a picture of widespread repression, violations of the rights of women, minorities, and political opponents, and particularly widespread instances including attacks on house churches, deprivation of child custody by Christian parents, baseless and dangerous charges such as apostasy, and widespread repression in the past year (2024).
Amnesty International states in its report regarding baseless and dangerous charges such as apostasy: “Individuals who are considered Muslim-born by the government face charges of apostasy if they convert to other religions or declare atheism, a charge that leads to torture, imprisonment, and in some cases execution. Farsi-speaking Christians and new converts continue to lack cemeteries and even official places of worship. Properties belonging to churches have been confiscated since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution and remain frozen to this day.”
Although “apostasy” is not specified in the Islamic Penal Code, judges can refer to jurisprudential sources according to Article 167 of the Constitution and issue apostasy sentences for these citizens.
Amnesty International also mentioned in its report severe repression of Bahais, multiple arrests, and confiscation of their property.
In another section of the report that references attacks by intelligence officials on house churches, it states: “Bahais, Christians, Gonabadi Dervishes, Jews, Sunnis, and Yarsan followers face widespread legal and practical discrimination. This discrimination includes deprivation of education, employment, and child custody, destruction of religious sites and private property, unjust legal persecution, and issuance of severe sentences solely for practicing religious rites.
Christian converts in Iran are systematically subjected to attacks on their homes, arbitrary arrests, and destruction of house churches, and face legal persecution due to religious gatherings. Moreover, if Armenian and Assyrian citizens are in contact with them, they become targets of government repression and face arrest and imprisonment, as evidenced by the cases of Joseph Shahbazian, his wife Leida Aleksani, and Hakop Gochomian.”
The report states regarding deprivation of child custody: “One of the shocking cases of minority rights violations is the deprivation of adoption from Christian convert couple Maryam Fallahi and Sam Khosravi in Bushehr. Despite the court’s acknowledgment of the strong emotional bond between the child and the parents, the court revoked the adoption solely because the couple was Christian.”
It should be noted that this ruling provoked strong reactions from human rights activists, and over 120 lawyers and civil society activists, in a letter to the head of the judiciary, stated that this decision contradicts Iran’s Constitution and international treaties.
Amnesty International also stated regarding the report on widespread repression in 2024: “Unfair judicial proceedings in last year’s protests and repression, which include lack of access to lawyers, torture-induced confessions, and expedited trials in Iran, are very common. During this period, access to platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and independent media was limited or blocked. Hundreds of people were persecuted for virtual activities, criticism of mandatory hijab, or support for families of victims.”
The report also states regarding the hijab law: “A program called the ‘Noor Plan,’ which was implemented from spring, targeted women without hijab “using surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology.” In Tir month, a woman named Arzu Badri was shot and suffered spinal cord injury while driving a private vehicle because she did not comply with the government’s mandatory hijab requirements.
The Guardian Council, in Shahrivar, approved a bill titled “Protecting the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,” which formalizes imprisonment, fines, and public service penalties for those who oppose mandatory hijab.
The organization also added that severe repression of protests, arrests of gatherings of labor activists, families of the killed, teachers, students, and other citizens opposed to the system continue.
