Iranian state security services carried out a wave of arrests and arbitrary detentions within the Christian community throughout the north of Iran in July. More than 50 Christian converts were been arrested in a series of raids across five cities.

“Police are entering family homes and seizing parents in front of their children,” said Kiaa Aalipour, spokesperson for Open Doors’ partner group Article 18 which advocates for Iran’s Christian minority.

“There are indications the number detained may be as high as 70.”

As of July 20, at least 51 people were in detention, in the cities of Tehran, Karaj, Rasht, Orumiyeh and Aligoudarz. According to Kiaa Aalipour, ‘’Christian converts are usually charged with propaganda against the state or membership of illegal groups which are considered ‘anti-state’. These charges can carry a ten-year prison term.’’

It is thought that the arrests mark a deliberate shift in strategy by the Iranian authorities, according to Henrietta Blyth, chief executive of Christian religious persecution charity, Open Doors. “It’s not clear what the motive is for this sudden surge in arrests of Christians,” she said. “This seems to be part of a wider crackdown on civil liberties.”

All those arrested so far are converts from Shia Islam. Converting is considered a threat to national security and converts are referred to by state authorities as ‘Unrecognised Christians.’ Estimates suggest there are up to a million people categorised this way in Iran.

The latest arrests follow a period of relative calm on the streets of Iran, after months of mass protests which were often violently suppressed by police. (Open Doors)

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