Revolutionary Court Orders Confiscation of Church Property

Mansour Borji, spokesman for Article 18 Committee affiliated with the Council of Iranian Pentecostal Churches based in London, told Radio Farda that “the Revolutionary Court of Tehran has issued an order to confiscate a garden belonging to the Pentecostal Congregation Church in Karaj.”

Branch Three of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran, in a ruling issued on June 4 of last year and confirmed in August of this year, accused the Council of Pentecostal Congregation Churches of Iran of “connection with the CIA intelligence organization” and issued an order to confiscate a garden belonging to this council in favor of the Execution Headquarters of the Imam’s Decree.

Regarding the reason for the delay in reporting the news, Mr. Borji stated, “Given the threat this ruling posed to other leaders and members of the churches in this council, we decided to report it while pursuing other supportive efforts.”

The ruling states that “the aforementioned council was one of the branches of the Philadelphia Church of America, which was established with an American budget and through the CIA intelligence agency to penetrate countries of the Islamic world, especially Iran, and to engage in missionary activities.”

Although the ruling was sent to the local police station for execution, it has not yet been enforced.

Mr. Borji added, “Our understanding is that they are concerned and waiting for international reactions to this ruling.”

According to the Article 18 website, which covers news about Iranian Christians, “Sharon Garden, belonging to the Council of Pentecostal Congregation Churches of Iran, was purchased in the early 1970s. This council was first officially registered as a church institution in Iran in 1974, and again after the revolution in 1979.”

Edward Hossepian, a pastor and former overseer of this council, emphasized in an interview with Article 18: “The council has never had any organizational connection with Pentecostal Congregation churches in America at any point in its history, whether before or after the revolution, and has always been independent of them. Our only connection with the World Council of Pentecostal Congregation churches has been in religious beliefs.”

Since the 1979 revolution, several church leaders in Iran have been killed, and hundreds of Christians have been interrogated and imprisoned.

Publishing the Bible in Persian has been banned, and some churches have been closed and religious services have been prevented.

In early December, 19 human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling on the international community to end the persecution of Christian converts in Iran.

Source: Radio Farda