Arrest of Christian Citizens in Six Cities Following Iran-Israel Ceasefire

Since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, approximately 20 Christian citizens have been arrested in six cities.

According to published reports, since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, officials from the Ministry of Intelligence have arrested approximately 20 Christian citizens in the cities of Tehran, Kerman, Kermanshah, Rasht, Urmia, and Varamin, and no information is yet available about their identities, conditions, or places of detention.

Some of them have faced charges after arrest of “aggravated punishment for spies and collaborators with the Zionist regime and hostile countries,” which is part of a recently approved bill by the Islamic Consultative Assembly containing 9 articles. According to this resolution, “any intelligence activity, espionage, or operational action for Israel or other hostile governments” falls under the category of “corruption on earth,” which carries a death penalty.

This resolution has a very broad scope. In addition to the aforementioned matters, any economic, security, financial, technological, or even indirect assistance that results in strengthening or legitimizing Israel will also be subject to the same ruling. Additionally, according to this resolution, severe restrictions are imposed on media, cultural, and political activities.

According to one of the articles of the aforementioned resolution, “publishing negative news, exaggerating damages, sending videos or photos to opposing media outlets, and any activity that causes discord, public fear, or harm to national security is criminalized.” The bill, which contains 9 articles, was approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Monday, June 23, but was returned to parliament by the Guardian Council due to certain ambiguities.

One of the ambiguities of this bill is the unclear definition of “hostile governments” and “hostile groups,” which the Guardian Council emphasized should be explicitly stated as to which formal body is responsible for determining the instances of these concepts. These ambiguities have existed in all government bills and resolutions for years.

Although the Islamic Republic is one of the signatories of the International Covenant on Human Rights and Article 18, and recognizes religious minorities, it has repeatedly arrested and imprisoned Christian citizens, Baha’is, Jews, journalists, and civil activists on baseless charges of “action against national security” and “propaganda against the system,” and has then sentenced them to severe punishments including imprisonment, fines, and deprivation of social rights. This is while the Supreme Court of the country announced in 2021 that “preaching Christianity and establishing house churches” is neither a crime nor a conspiracy to disrupt the country’s security—ambiguities that have always existed and continue.

Now, more than two weeks after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the Islamic Republic government has arrested civil activists, Christian citizens, Baha’is, Jews, and system opponents in various Iranian cities on charges of espionage and collaboration with Israel.

It should be noted that 57 Iranian human rights lawyers have protested the aforementioned resolution and, in issuing a statement, have described this bill as “a great disaster” for Iran’s legal and judicial system.