Release of Seventh Annual Report by Global Christian Organizations on the Situation of Christians in Iran
Global Christian organizations have released their seventh annual report on the situation of Christians in Iran.
On Monday, January 20, 2025, corresponding to Bahman 2, 1403, the Christian organizations “Open Doors,” “Christian Solidarity Worldwide,” “Middle East Eye,” and “Article 18” published their seventh annual report, titled “The Tip of the Iceberg,” highlighting “violations of the rights of Christians in Iran.”
The report prepared by these organizations documents human rights violations against Christians in Iran, and due to cases that go unreported, it represents only a small portion of the actual violations. The 48-page report shows that Christians faced a sixfold increase in prison sentences during 2024.
According to statistics in the released report, a total of 96 Christians were sentenced to 263 years in prison in 2024, compared to the previous year when 22 Christians received a combined sentence of 43 years and 6 months. The number of detainees for Christian beliefs and peaceful religious activities in 2024 was reported to be at least 139.
The report states that by the end of 2024, at least 18 Christians were serving prison sentences, 80 were detained, 77 were charged, and 96 Christians received a total of 263 years imprisonment, 37 years internal exile, and approximately 800,000 dollars in fines. Additionally, the report documents cases of physical torture of detainees.
According to the reports from the four global Christian organizations, in the second half of 2024, the Sepah Intelligence Organization investigated financial transactions of Christians and their lawyers. These investigations revealed that over a two-month period, Christians in five different cities were detained and summoned for interrogation by Sepah Intelligence on suspicion of receiving funds from outside the country.
The Christian organizations stated in their report: “It appears that the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to isolate and financially weaken the Christian community as part of a broader strategy to suppress their growth and influence.”
The financial assistance investigated by Sepah Intelligence, for which Christians were summoned, consists of aid provided by various charities to support church activities—a practice considered normal for Christians worldwide. However, in the view of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, such activities and aid are considered criminal offenses.
More than 70 percent of charges against Christians in 2024 were brought under Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, with many Christians threatened under this same article. According to this article, individuals who engage in “propaganda against the sacred Islamic religion” while simultaneously receiving financial support from foreign organizations face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. Revolutionary Courts use this article to impose lengthy sentences on Christians—a law the United Nations has issued a resolution calling on the Islamic Republic to change.
The report also addresses the situation of Armenians and Assyrians, who are considered officially recognized minorities. They face not only structural and legal discrimination in Iran, but if they deviate from the framework established by the government for holding religious ceremonies or participate with Iranian Christians in their gatherings, including prayer and Bible reading, they are arrested and suppressed. The report mentions the case of “Hakop Kutchomyan,” an Armenian citizen resident in Armenia, who was sentenced to ten years in prison by the government.
In addition to publishing statistics and identifying imprisoned Christians in Iranian prisons, the report examines and analyzes documents released by the hacking group “Adalet Ali.” According to these documents obtained by the hacking group, over a 15-year period (from July 2008 to December 2023), 327 Christian citizens were subjected to government suppression, of which 198 were men and 129 were women.
According to Article 18’s report, 52 of these cases were previously known to the organization before the documents were released, indicating that many cases of persecution and detention of Christians remained unreported and hidden. The report states: “The detained Iranian Christians were not limited to evangelical Christians; the hacked documents also contain records of the detention of 4 Armenian citizens and 9 Assyrian citizens from various churches and denominations, including Orthodox and Catholic.”
In their conclusions, the four global Christian organizations issued demands and recommendations regarding the Iranian government and the international community. They stated in their report to the Iranian government: “All imprisoned Christians must be released, confiscated centers and buildings must be returned to them, and the Iranian government must cooperate with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the fact-finding committee regarding complaints.”
The four organizations called on the global community to hold the Islamic Republic government accountable for its failure to fulfill its obligations under international law.
The global Christian organizations also urged countries hosting Christian refugees and Iranian asylum seekers to facilitate the residence and settlement of these persecuted individuals and not return them to Iran, as they would face torture and imprisonment upon their return.
