According to Christian Organization ‘Open Doors,’ Islamic Republic of Iran is the Eighth ‘Christian-Persecuting’ Country in the World

The Christian organization ‘Open Doors’ has announced in its annual report on Christians in 50 countries worldwide that the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks as the eighth ‘Christian-persecuting’ country in the world.

In this report released on Wednesday, December 24 by the international organization, it was stated that referring to the fact that Iran’s government views the conversion of Muslims to Christianity as an attempt by the West to weaken the Islamic Republic’s government: “Christians who were previously Muslim face more harassment and persecution than others.”

The report also states that underground churches are frequently attacked, their leaders and members are arrested, and they are sentenced to lengthy prison terms on charges of acting against national security.

The ‘Open Doors’ organization, which supports Christians in over 60 countries, adds in this report that Assyrian and Armenian Christians, who are officially recognized as a religious minority in Iran’s constitution, face discrimination and are considered “second-class citizens.” According to this report, they “are not allowed to speak with others about Jesus Christ or speak in Persian language during church ceremonies.”

The international organization also states, referring to the release of some prisoners from Iranian prisons following the outbreak and spread of coronavirus: “A group of prisoners in Iran, including some who had been imprisoned for their faith, were released from overcrowded prisons to prevent the spread of coronavirus; however, several other Christians remain in prison and trials of other Christians continue.”

In this year’s report by the U.S. State Department on religious freedoms in the world, it was stated that the Islamic Republic continued in 2019, as in previous years, to harass, interrogate, and arrest non-Armenian Christians, particularly those who have converted to Christianity (new believers) and other religious minorities.