Christian activities commonly considered crimes include conducting worship services at home, performing baptisms, preaching in church, celebrating Christmas, attending house churches, theological education, and singing worship songs.  In a 2018 verdict, for instance, playing Christian worship songs on a guitar was cited as “misleading Muslim youth” and resulted in a 15-year prison sentence for Amin Afshar-Naderi.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has unleashed a fresh wave of persecution against Christian converts, arresting at least 43 believers across 21 cities since June 25th, when the ceasefire with Israel took effect. From Tehran to Rasht, Orumiyeh to Kermanshah, authorities are targeting those who have left Islam—signaling an alarming escalation in religious repression.

Although the exact charges facing some of those arrested have not been made public, some cases involve the possession of Bibles. Others are connected to a newly proposed law that threatens severe punishment for alleged collaboration with so-called hostile states, such as the United States or Israel.

In a recent case, Mehran Shamloui, a Christian who fled Iran to escape imprisonment for his faith, was detained on July 5th after being deported from Turkey back to the country.

In May, Shamloui and two other converts, including a woman pregnant with her first child, were summoned to begin prison sentences totaling over 40 years on charges related to their religious beliefs and worship meetings. The charges include “propaganda against Islamic law” and “membership in groups opposing the state.”

Christian converts from Islam bear the brunt of religious freedom violations, and most of the persecution is carried out by the government. Many Christians are arrested and prosecuted and have received long prison sentences for “crimes against national security.” Identifying as Muslim is a requirement for most jobs, especially in the government. Iranian Christians suffer from legalized discrimination, including being denied the use of the Persian language for any religious activity or Christian material. 

In Iran, all laws must be consistent with Sharia law. A Guardian Council is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and consists of Shia scholars and clerics. They review all legislation as well as candidates for the highest public appointments, e.g., the presidency and parliament. Ethnic Persians are considered Muslim, so converts to Christianity are seen as apostates. This makes almost all Christian activity illegal, especially when using the Persian language. Local Muslim clerics sometimes incite violence against religious minority groups. 

The information regarding the public cases of the Iranian Christians known to be imprisoned at this time is available on Article18’s Prisoners List. 

In an interview with europeanconservative.com, Steve Dew-Jones, the news director of Article18, an organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran, said:

There is no simple answer to why the Iranian regime is targeting Christians. It would appear as though the Iranian regime considers Christians—and especially evangelical Christians and converts to Christianity—as a threat, as the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, made clear in an infamous 2010 speech in which he referenced house churches among the ‘critical threats’ facing the Islamic Republic through ‘deceiving young Muslims’ or leading them ‘astray.’

Since that time, the churches that once offered services in the national language of Persian have been forced to cease such services or to close, and the pressure on the increasing number of house churches that sprung up as a result has intensified. Hundreds of Christians are now arrested each year for their participation in these house churches, which represent the only place of worship available to Persian-speaking Christians in Iran, and at the risk of facing trumped-up charges of ‘acting against national security.’

A new report published in January sheds further light on the ongoing severe persecution of Christians in Iran. According to the joint 2025 annual report published by Article18, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), and Middle East Concern, Iranian Christians were sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years in prison in 2024, a sixfold increase compared to 2023.

The report, entitled “The Tip of the Iceberg,” notes that 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years in prison last year, compared with 22 Christians sentenced to a total of 43.5 years in 2023.

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