More than 900 Iranian civilians were executed in 2024. Countless more received death sentences for religiously based charges. Ninety-six Iranian Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years in jail.
According to a recent report, among the hundreds of death sentences carried out in Iran, convictions ranged from “corruption on earth” and “waging war on God” to participation in the 2022 anti-government protests. The study, entitled “Tip of the Iceberg”, was released this year by Article 18 in partnership with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Middle East Concern.
It documents the spike in prison terms handed down by judges and follows a sharp rise in arrests in late 2023. Five Christians are recorded as receiving 10-year terms and another believer a 15-year sentence.
“The Iranian government seems to have intensified its efforts to isolate and financially undermine the Christian community as part of a broader strategy to suppress its growth and influence,” notes Mansour Borji of Article 18.
Intense Persecution Continues Today
In March this year three Christian converts, including a pregnant woman, received harsh sentences. Narges Nasri is pregnant with her first child but has recently been sentenced to 16 years for “propaganda activities contrary to Islamic law”, involvement in a house church, social media posts, and supporting a women’s freedom movement.
Abbas Soori, 48, received 15 years on similar charges, while Christian musician Mehran Shamloui, 37, was given10 years and had his musical instruments confiscated.
“A regime that tears an expectant mother from her family and from appropriate medical care cannot claim to stand for justice or dignity,” says Michael Bosch, Middle East analyst for World Watch Research. “Narges’ only ‘crime’ is her religious belief.
“Abbas Soori is being punished with15 years of his life simply for practising his faith privately in his home. By removing Mehran Shamloui’s musical instruments and locking him up, they are attempting to silence the expression of faith through art.”
He adds: “Christian converts are especially vulnerable. The Iranian state incorrectly views converts as an existential threat to the Islamic Republic.”
Today, Iran’s extensive and brutal security measures are designed to suppress all religious and political dissent, particularly targeting Christians and all faith-based minorities.
Despite intense persecution, the church in Iran continues to grow.
Pray for Iran
- For God to protect secret believers and give them a spirit of wisdom and courage.
- For the mental and physical wellbeing of Christian prisoners and their families.
- That God will bless and protect the growing Church as believers share the gospel.
Stay updated with the latest prayer requests from the persecuted church.
