IRAN COUNTRY PROFILE
The situation in Iran has remained highly volatile with large-scale anti- government demonstrations at the beginning of 2026, reportedly taking place in more than 200 cities. 84 Authorities responded with an extensive security crackdown, including the use of lethal force, resulting in more than 30,000 deaths. 85 These developments, together with the outbreak of the US-Iran War in February 2026, coincided with a deterioration in human rights and further restrictive measures by state authorities. Iran continues to impose significant restrictions on Christians’ religious freedom, particularly converts and members of Evangelical churches. While certain communities, including Roman Catholic and some Orthodox and Protestant denominations, are officially recognized and permitted to conduct worship, they are subject to harassment and intimidation, including a prohibition on reading or distributing the Bible in Farsi. 86 Estimates suggest that there are 300,000 Armenian and Syriac Christians in Iran, with 500,000 — 800,000 worshipping in Protestant house churches. 87 ACN figures suggest the percentage of Christians in Iran has increased, despite state repression. 88 Conversion from Islam remains unlawful, with individuals accused of apostasy or related activities facing arrest, detention, and imprisonment, frequently based on broadly construed “national security” charges. Evangelical Christians are often linked with “foreign intelligence services," a narrative that paints an entire faith community as a security threat, gravely increasing their vulnerability. 89 Arrests of Christians increased substantially in 2025, with 254 cases reported — approximately double the number recorded in 2024. 90 This has been accompanied by increasingly severe judicial outcomes, as well as the imposition of ancillary penalties, including exclusion from education, employment and health care. 91 Despite the release of a limited number of individuals detained on religious grounds, the overall pattern indicates a progressive tightening of restrictions on religion, characterized by heightened surveillance, prosecution and punitive measures for conduct deemed inconsistent with the Islamic Republic’s laws.
SELECTED INCIDENTS
NOVEMBER 2024 Christian convert Toumaj Ariankia was convicted of “propaganda against the regime by way of evangelizing Christianity,” “collaboration with hostile powers (Israel, the United Kingdom, and America),” and “membership in groups antagonistic to the regime." His punishment includes a ten-year prison sentence and a two-year ban on “social activities." 92 MARCH 2025 63-year-old Evangelical convert, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, suffered a stroke in Evin Prison on the 35 th day of a hunger strike protesting Iran’s persecution of Christians. 93 OCTOBER 2025 Mina Khajavi, who was arrested for leading a house church, was released from Evin Prison after completing her sentence. She was reportedly denied medical care for arthritis during her imprisonment. 94
MAY 2026 Catholic convert Ghazal Marzban was rearrested — having been released in January 2025 after completing one third of her jail term — and sentenced to nine years and eight months for “collusion against national security” among other charges. She was first arrested in November 2024, after protesting harassment following her conversion. During her rearrest her Bible was seized. 95 JUNE 2026 Six security officers entered St. Peter’s Evangelical Church, Tehran, during worship, saying they wanted to “identify” attendees. They warned the building would be requisitioned. After a new property deed was issued for the church, stating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps owned it, families living on the site were ordered to leave or face jail. 96
22 | Persecuted and Forgotten?
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