Article18

The scapegoating of #Christians in #Iran is the focus of our 2026 annual report. Nearly twice as many were arrested in 2025 than in 2024, and more than twice as many were imprisoned. Sentences also got harsher: Christians received a total of 280 years in prison sentences, and 11 individuals received sentences of over 10 years each. “For 47 years, the Iranian people have been subjected to a regime that not only consistently fails to uphold human rights for its citizens, but brutally quashes dissenting voices, opinions or beliefs,” the report states. “This report details the violations throughout 2025 experienced by just one section of society – the #Christian community.”

 Read the full report here 👇

 🔗 articleeighteen.com/reports/23548/ #Article18

#سیمین_سهیل‌نیا، نوکیش #مسیحی ایرانی-کانادایی، در تاریخ ۲۳ شهریور ۱۴۰۴، علیرغم محکومیت به ۱۰ سال حبس، به‌دلیل بیماری مادرش به #ایران بازگشت و در بدو ورود بازداشت شد. او پیش‌تر درخواست داده بود که باقی‌مانده محکومیت خود را تحت نظارت در منزل و با پابند الکترونیکی سپری کند. منابع «ماده ۱۸» تأیید کرده‌اند که این درخواست درست پیش از جنگ اخیر پذیرفته شده بود، اما با آغاز جنگ، این حکم به‌طور رسمی ابلاغ نشد. او همچنان در زندان به سر می‌برد و هفته‌هاست هیچ تماسی با خانواده‌اش نداشته است. دلیل بازگشت او به ایران، وضعیت وخیم خانوادگی‌اش عنوان شده است. پدرش پس از یک دوره بیماری در سال ۱۴۰۴ درگذشت و با مشخص شدن ابتلای مادرش به بیماری لاعلاج، او تصمیم گرفت با وجود خطرات، به ایران بازگردد. پس از بازداشت، وی ابتدا به زندان قرچک منتقل شد؛ جایی که پس از حمله اسرائیل به زندان اوین در جریان جنگ دوازده‌روزه، برخی زندانیان  به‌طور موقت به آنجا منتقل شده بودند. او در تاریخ ۱۹ مهر ۱۴۰۴ به همراه دیگر زندانیان به زندان اوین منتقل شد. articleeighteen.com/fa/news/20826/ #ماده۱۸ #مسیحیان_ایران #کانادا

The family of an imprisoned Iranian #Christian convert who was due for release prior to the war are concerned for her safety, having not heard from her since the conflict began nearly three weeks ago. #Simin_Soheilinia, who will celebrate her 48th birthday on Saturday, is serving a 10-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison on charges of “acting against national security by establishing and leading an illegal Christian house-church”. Simin’s sentence was recently reduced to three years and six months, after which it was agreed that she could serve the remainder of her sentence outside prison, with an electronic tag.  But then the conflict began, and all contact with Simin was lost, as has been the case for other prisoners of conscience. Prior to the conflict, there were at least 48 Christians serving sentences in prisons in #Iran on charges related to their religious beliefs or activities, including at least 16 in Evin Prison. articleeighteen.com/news/23678/ #Article18Podcast #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship

“We cannot talk about Iran's situation without mentioning the massacre of tens of thousands of Iranians in January, in just two days. And several Christians were killed too, because Christians are Iranian citizens too. There is no difference [between them and others]. They suffer, they hope, they defy the tyranny and they are looking for their own human dignity” - #Article18’s @fredpetrossian.

 #Article18Podcast #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship 
#Iran 🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=_IKx0E…

"If Christianity is known for love & peace, what stance should #Christians take towards war?" #Article18's @fredpetrossian considers this question for @ReligionMag. 🔗 religionunplugged.com/news/against-e… #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship #IranWar‌ #IranMassacre‌ #IranRevolution2026‌ #Iran

Should Christians support the war in Iran?

“The story of religious #minorities, especially #Christian #converts, in #Iran is a tragic one. It’s a story of suffering. But at the same time it’s a story of resistance and creativity,” says #Article18’s @fredpetrossian. #Article18Podcast #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship 
 🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=_IKx0E…

“We feel like we are having a Berlin Wall moment,” said one Iranian American Christian. christianitytoday.com/2026/03/iran-w…

The US-Israeli strikes on #Iran constitute “an operation aimed at the liberation of the Iranian people”, a group of Iranian Christians has told the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani. #MiddleEast #MiddleEastConflict #Echobox=1773393940" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/…

The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of #HumanRights in the Islamic Republic of #Iran noted yesterday that many “prisoners remain behind bars” after being “detained simply for exercising their fundamental rights”. Dr Sato also highlighted the “continued #persecution, arbitrary arrest & scapegoating” of religious #minorities including #Christians. Read more 👇🏻 🔗 articleeighteen.com/news/23634/ #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship #Article18 @drmaisato

"Article18 has for years documented how Christians are systematically persecuted in Iran, with at least 48 Christians currently in prison on charges related to their religious beliefs and activities."

The head of #Iran’s Islamic seminaries has written to the #Pope, telling him that former Supreme Leader, Ali #Khamenei, was a “serious supporter of the rights of religious #minorities, especially #Christians”. Read more 👇 🔗 articleeighteen.com/news/23630/ #FoRBForAll #Place2Worship #Catholics #Converts #Article18 @Pontifex

علیرضا اعرافی، مدیر حوزه‌های علمیه، در نامه‌ای به پاپ مدعی شده است که علی خامنه‌ای یکی از «حامیان جدی حقوق اقلیت‌های دینی، به‌ویژه مسیحیان» است. این ادعا در حالی مطرح می‌شود که گزارش‌های حقوق بشری و سازمان ملل طی دهه‌های گذشته تصویری کاملاً متفاوت از وضعیت اقلیت‌ها در ایران ارائه می‌دهند. برخلاف ادعای حمایت، علی خامنه‌ای در سال ۱۳۸۹ صراحتاً خواستار مقابله با گسترش کلیساهای خانگی شد. در پی این سخنان، فشار نیروهای امنیتی بر نوکیشان مسیحی و تجمعات دینی خصوصی به طور چشمگیری افزایش یافت. سازمان‌های مسیحی بین‌المللی مانند «درهای باز»، ایران را همواره در فهرست کشورهایی با بیشترین آزار و سرکوب مسیحیان قرار داده‌اند. حوزه‌های علمیه، که یکی از مراکز اصلی تولید و ترویج ایدئولوژی رسمی جمهوری اسلامی به شمار می‌روند، بارها سمینارهایی برای مقابله با آنچه «مسیحیت تبشیری» خوانده می‌شود برگزار کرده‌اند. در دوران رهبری خامنه‌ای، موادی از قانون مجازات اسلامی (مانند مواد ۴۹۹ و ۵۰۰) به ابزاری برای تعقیب قضایی فعالان دینی و نوکیشان تبدیل شده است. بسیاری از مسیحیان به دلیل باور مسیحی و فعالیت‌های مسالمت‌آمیز دینی بازداشت شده و در زندان‌ها با شکنجه‌های جسمی و روحی مواجه شده‌اند. اینجا کلیک کنید: articleeighteen.com/fa/news/20811/ #حقوق_بشر #مسیحی #ایران #نوکیشان_مسیحی #ماده۱۸ #مسیحیان_ایران #HumanRights #Place2Worship #FoRBForAll #Converts #Article18

Chair Hartzler: "Iran persecuted Christians, Baha'is, & Sunni Muslims by surveilling, arresting, torturing, & killing them. This includes torturing Christians in prison, violent home raids targeting Baha'i women, & executing at least 5 Sunni Muslims for their religious identity.”

(ANALYSIS/@mansourborji) The recent elevation of Mojtaba Khamenei as successor to his father as Supreme Leader is seen by many Iranians not as a genuine transition but only a convenient choice by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to preserve the existing political structure. religionunplugged.com/news/iran-futu…

Today I present my report to the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, starting at 10:45am CET. I will address the nationwide protests, the State’s use of lethal force, the ongoing military strikes, and the thousands detained. The voices of those who came forward at great personal risk deserve to be heard at the highest level. Watch it live here: webtv.un.org/en

@dnagosjoon @AliR_Ahmadi Thank you @dnagosjoon. Not every follow should be seen as an endorsement.

@AliR_Ahmadi @articleeighteen you are following someone advocating the deportation of Iranian refugee and asylum seekers

As an Iranian, I fully endorse this.

#Article18’s first podcast is here. Listen to @mansourborji, @fredpetrossian and @SteveDewJones talk about topics including the war, January massacre and how religious #minorities including #Christians have been repressed in #Iran since 1979. #FoRBforall #Place2Worship #Article18Podcast

Recorded the first @articleeighteen podcast this morning with colleagues @fredpetrossian @mansourborji. Look forward to sharing it with you soon. In it, we introduce our work & explain the situation of Christians in Iran, before turning to the recent massacre & ongoing conflict.