Iran's continued persecution of Christians raises alarm, says UN rapporteur

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, has raised alarm over the persecution of Christians in the country, calling it a matter of serious concern that requires immediate attention.

Mai Sato addressed Article18’s joint side event at the UN in Geneva in late January, calling it a “timely opportunity” to assess the reality faced by Christian communities in Iran. Article18, a nonprofit organization, advocates for persecuted Christians in Iran and promotes religious freedom.

Sato spotlighted the plight of Christians in Iran the day before the country's Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a key UNHRC mechanism aimed at improving human rights, with Iran being one of 14 countries under review by the UPR Working Group.

Sato noted that previous UN rapporteurs had raised concerns about the systemic persecution of Christians in Iran in 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2020, yet little progress has been made.

“The violations reported in these communications mirror the very issues that presenters at this event will be discussing today,” she said, citing multiple breaches of Iran’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran ratified in 1975.

These include restrictions on religious freedom, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, privacy, and non-discrimination.

Titled "Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Legal Protections vs. Lived Realities," the Article18 event also included testimonies from individuals affected by religious persecution.

Sato urged civil society and what she called other stakeholders, to continue sharing evidence of Christian persecution and other religious minorities, saying the reports help keep the issue on the international agenda.

UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Nazila Ghanea also contributed to the event.

In her remarks, Ghanea noted Article18's latest report's findings of the Iranian government's discriminatory treatment of Christian converts, citing severe sentencing in 2024, with 96 Christians facing 263 years in prison, 37 years of internal exile, and substantial fines, emphasizing the human cost behind these figures.

Although Christians are acknowledged as a religious minority in Iran, authorities impose severe penalties, particularly on those who convert from Islam to Christianity.