Shirin Ebadi’s Warning Over Intensified Pressure and Confiscation of Iran’s Churches by the Islamic Republic
Coinciding with reports of increased pressure on the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Iran in Tehran, Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has warned about what she described as attempts to seize and confiscate one of the capital’s oldest Protestant churches. This warning comes as international bodies have also expressed concern over mounting pressure on the property, leaders, and members of Iran’s Christian community.
Shirin Ebadi, a human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced through a message on her Telegram channel that the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Iran located on Sittir Street in Tehran faces the threat of seizure and confiscation. Citing reports she has received, she wrote that individuals affiliated with security agencies have threatened church officials and residents of the complex, stating that if they refuse to hand over the property, they will face arrest and imprisonment. Additionally, Armenian and Assyrian families living in the complex have been ordered to vacate their residence.
These developments occurred just days after concerns intensified regarding the status of historic Christian sites in Iran. The World Council of Churches also issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and serious concern over the destruction of the historic Evangelical Church in Mashhad and reports of increased pressure on the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Iran in Tehran.
The statement said: “We are particularly concerned about reports indicating that church staff have been threatened with imprisonment. Residents of this complex have been pressured to leave their homes, and demands have been made for the transfer of ownership of church properties.”
The World Council of Churches also called on Islamic Republic authorities to immediately halt any action that could lead to confiscation, transfer, destruction, or change of use of church properties.
In her message, Shirin Ebadi emphasized that the issue is not merely a property dispute but part of a process that, according to her, Iran’s Christian community has faced for years. She pointed to the closure of Persian-speaking churches, pressure on church leaders, detention of Christian citizens, creation of security cases, and confiscation of property, and stated that the scope of these pressures has now extended to historic churches and the residences of Armenian and Assyrian citizens.
Ebadi continued: “The right to worship, the right to property ownership, the right to safe living, and the right to change religion are fundamental human rights, and no government institution has the right to forcibly seize a church, threaten its residents, or uproot Iran’s Christian community through fear and case-making.”
In conclusion, she called for the preservation of St. Peter’s Church, an end to pressure on Christian citizens and church leaders, and a halt to the confiscation of Christian property and places of worship. She warned that this process could mark the beginning of a new phase of pressure on religious minorities in Iran.
Meanwhile, the World Council of Churches has also called on the international community to take action to protect church facilities and safeguard freedom of religion and belief in Iran, emphasizing that the preservation of these centers is important not only for the Christian community but also for Iran’s historical and cultural heritage.
