Iranian Christians: Sixfold Increase in Prison Sentences, Report Reveals
Soaring fines, confiscations, an intensified crackdown on foreign donations, and cases of physical torture.
Iran Intensifies Prison Sentences for Christians in 2024
Iran’s ayatollah regime drastically increased its use of prison sentences against Christians in 2024. In total, Christians were sentenced to 263 years behind bars—a sixfold increase compared to 2023, according to a new report.
A total of 96 Christians received 263 years in prison, compared to 22 Christians sentenced to 43.5 years in 2023.
One major reason for this sharp rise is the wave of arrests in the second half of 2023, including during Christmas. Many of those detained received harsh sentences in trials held in 2024. Five Christians arrested at Christmas were sentenced to ten years in prison each, while one received a 15-year sentence.
Yasin Mosavi is one of at least 46 Christians arrested at Christmas 2023. On May 27, 2024, he was among eight individuals sentenced by the Revolutionary Court, which collectively handed down 45 years in prison. Mosavi himself received a 15-year sentence. In April, he was released on bail of 2 million tomans (approximately 330,000 NOK). It remains unknown when he and the others will be taken in to serve their sentences.
These individuals have peacefully led house churches attended by converts from Islam. The ayatollah regime considers this a threat to the Islamic nation.
Iceberg of Abuses
This, and much more, is documented in a new report on human rights violations against Christians in Iran. The report, titled “The Tip of the Iceberg”, highlights the scale of persecution. In 2023 alone, at least 139 Christians were arrested, though the real number is likely much higher, according to Article18, an organization supported by Stefanus Alliance. The report was compiled by Article18, Middle East Concern, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)—both also partners of Stefanus Alliance—and Open Doors.
The 96 individuals sentenced in 2024 also received a combined total of 37 years in internal exile after serving their prison terms, along with fines amounting to approximately $800,000. The total sum of fines imposed on Iranian Christians has never been this high before.
Anonymous Victims
Mosavi is one of the few who has come forward with his case, sharing his name and photo. However, many who suffer persecution under the ayatollah regime never report their experiences, fearing the consequences for themselves and their families.
A striking example: On December 26, 2024, at least 40 Christians were arrested in two different cities in Iran. They had gathered to celebrate Christmas when police raided their meetings—Christmas time is a peak period for arrests in Iran.
Yet, these 40 individuals cannot be identified—they do not dare to come forward, fearing the repercussions. And their fear is entirely understandable.
Massive Hidden Numbers
Beyond the known cases, there is a third group—a large number of incidents that remain completely unknown to human rights organizations or media. This became evident in 2024 when three million legal files from Tehran’s judicial system were leaked, covering the 15-year period from 2008 to 2023.
Among these files were records of 300 Christians who had been prosecuted solely because of their faith or religious activities. However, these 300 cases were only the tip of the iceberg, as they covered only the capital, Tehran. Additionally, it was discovered that 37 cases involving 96 individuals had not been included in the Tehran statistics.
Most alarming was the revelation that 58% of these 300 cases had never been reported.
The unfortunate truth is this: Every time we publish a report on violations of religious freedom in a country like Iran, the reality is likely even worse than what we know.
Crackdown on Foreign Donations
The report “The Tip of the Iceberg” also reveals a new and alarming trend. Agents of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have begun systematically tracking financial gifts and transfers from family, friends, or fellow Christians abroad to believers inside Iran.
Over a two-month period, Christians in at least five Iranian cities were either arrested or summoned for interrogation. They were suspected of receiving financial support from abroad and were threatened with prosecution under Article 500 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code. This article carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for “propaganda contrary to the sacred religion of Islam.”
Receiving money or organized support from abroad is now a criminal offense. In fact, more than 70% of all charges against Christians in 2024 were based on this relatively new Article 500.
Hate Speech Against House Churches and Baha’is
The harsh policies against Christian converts—and Baha’is—are deeply rooted in Iran’s leadership. In 2010, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a well-known hate-filled speech, warning that Iran’s enemies were attempting to “destabilize the foundation of our people’s faith, especially the youth, by spreading immorality, false mysticism, Baha’ism, and networks of house churches. These actions are carefully planned by Iran’s enemies.”
The leaked judicial documents reveal how widespread hate speech against Christians, Baha’is, and others is within Iran’s legal system. In one case against a Christian convert, the judge justified a harsh sentence by citing religious leaders, writing that they had affirmed “the Islamic government’s duty to fight against moral and ideological deviations.”
Key findings from the leaked documents
Christians are regarded with contempt and labeled as members of a “sect” and a threat to national security.
Promoting Christianity is criminalized.
Christians are interrogated about their faith and pressured to renounce it.
The Bible is treated as contraband and used as evidence of a crime.
Christians are prosecuted for ordinary religious activities and expressions of faith.
“House Churches Have Gone Amok”
Ayatollah Vahid Khorasani has declared: “Today, Wahhabism, Baha’ism, and Christianity are running rampant in this country… house churches have gone amok. Baha’ism has gained a foothold, even operating pharmacies in our land. It is the government’s duty to confront these threats.” Other ayatollahs have also expressed concern over evangelical missionary activity and the spread of house churches.
Iranian prosecutor Mohammad Nasirpour wrote to the head of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court: “The evangelical Christian sect, which serves the interests of global imperialism, targets the faith of Muslim citizens, destabilizes families, and spreads immorality by attempting to convert people from Shi’a Islam and promoting libertinism; thus, they are working towards a soft coup against the Islamic Republic.”
The leaked files confirm that prison sentences, fines, and even floggings have been imposed on people for receiving or giving humanitarian aid, participating in Communion, and engaging in other religious practices.
Although accusations of “Zionist evangelical activity” and collaborating with Western nations or Israel are widespread, the leaked documents show that only two Christians have been officially charged with espionage. In both cases, the charges were dismissed—suggesting a lack of evidence.
The Recognized Christians – and the Persecuted
It is crucial to understand the stark divide between Iran’s small, officially recognized Christian minorities and the persecuted Christian converts.
On one side, the Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities are permitted to practice their faith in their own ethnic languages and within their own homes and churches. The regime showcases them as “proof” of Islamic tolerance, but in reality, they are treated as second-class citizens.
On the other side, Christian worship in Farsi (Persian) is strictly forbidden, as is sharing the Christian faith with Muslims. The large and growing community of Christians from a Muslim background—possibly nearing one million people—faces severe persecution. They are branded as a threat to national security, accused of being agents of foreign powers, or labeled as promoters of “Zionist Christianity”.
Since converts have no legally recognized places of worship, they gather in house churches, which the regime considers illegal and a national security threat.