The Christians in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief joint report on The Persecution of Christians in

This is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. All-Party Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in this Report are those of the Groups.

Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report

1. Letter from the Co-chairs evidence to the Inquiry. All the panellists were struck by the dignity and courage of It has been a privilege to co-chair this the Iranian Christians who testified. We fresh Inquiry into the Persecution of also thank Sadeq Saba, Editor of BBC Christians in Iran. It is a subject that Persian, Ajay Sharma of the Foreign weighs heavily on our hearts, particularly Office, and Sohrab Ahmari of the Wall following our initial Inquiry, where MPs Street Journal, who gave up their time to visited the in 2012 to meet contribute to the Inquiry. We would also personally with Iranians who had endured like to express our appreciation to those severe maltreatment in their homeland who submitted expert reports: Christian because of their faith. Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Elam Ministries, Open Doors, Middle East It was with cautious optimism that we watched Hassan Rouhani become Concern (MEC), and Dr Ahmed Shaheed, President of Iran in August 2013. We the UN Special Rapporteur on human joined with many Iranians in hoping that rights in Iran. his influence would soften Iran’s harsh It has been a pleasure to work alongside policies toward the nation’s religious and colleagues from across the political ethnic minorities. Sadly, we have been spectrum, some of whom were involved in disappointed that his positive promises the original Inquiry, and others of whom and moderate language have not have joined us for the renewed Inquiry. translated into any meaningful Our thanks go to Fiona Bruce MP, Sarah improvement. The persecution remains Newton MP, the Rt Hon David Jones MP, as severe today as it was in 2012, when Jeremy Lefroy MP, Lord Hylton, Lord the Christians in Parliament All Party Selkirk, Lord Farmer, Lord Alton, and the Parliamentary Group (APPG) produced its Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of St first report on the Persecution of Albans. Christians in Iran. In cataloguing the abuse of Christians For over a year the APPG pursued the during Rouhani’s presidency, we hope to goal of a diplomatic trip to , in order draw attention to the lack of freedom of to open positive and respectful dialogue religion in Iran, and encourage the with the Iranian authorities on matters government to prioritise this issue in all relating to freedom of religion or belief. dialogues with the Islamic Republic. Many When it finally became clear that the of the recommendations of this report Iranian government had no intention of apply to Iran’s other suffering religious allowing the APPG to visit Tehran, the minorities, such as the Bahá’ís, Sufi decision was made to renew the Inquiry Dervishes and Sunni Muslims. We hope, into the Persecution of Christians. pray and labour for a day when Iranians of For this renewed Inquiry, the Christians in all faiths or none can live in their homeland without fear of persecution or Parliament APPG has joined with the APPG for International Freedom of harassment, with the full spectrum of their Religion or Belief, whose work to ensure rights protected. that religious freedom is a firm priority for the UK Parliament and Government is highly strategic and greatly valued. David Burrowes MP and On behalf of the panel, we express Baroness Berridge of the Vale of Catmose profound thanks to all those who gave

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2. Executive summary 3. Introduction: Rouhani’s broken promises The joint-APPG Inquiry into the persecution of Christians in Iran held two During his election campaign, Hassan oral evidence sessions (hereafter called Rouhani made a number of promises ‘Westminster hearings’) in December regarding religious freedom in Iran. He is 2014, and took testimony from thirteen quoted as saying on 11 April 2013, “All witnesses. Some witnesses gave their Iranian people should feel there is justice. statements via video, while others were Justice means equal opportunity. All interviewed in person by the panel. The ethnicities, all religions, even religious Inquiry also received statements from minorities, must feel justice.”1 NGOs and experts that work in this field. The Inquiry heard that the persecution of In an August 2013 interview, cited by Christians in Iran has not diminished since Press TV, President Rouhani was quoted Hassan Rouhani took the presidential as stating that his administration would office, despite his pre-election promises of guarantee equal rights for all Iranians, and greater respect for human rights. that “no authority should differentiate between various ethnicities, religions, Christians continue to be arbitrarily minorities and followers of different arrested and interrogated because of their faiths.”2 faith-related activities. They continue to be treated harshly, with some facing severe The Draft Citizen’s Rights Charter, which physical and psychological torture during was revealed early in Rouhani’s periods of detention. The judiciary presidency in November 2013, states that continues to construe legitimate Christian “holding and attending religious rituals of activities (such as meeting in private the religions identified in the Constitution homes for prayer meeting and bible (Christianity, Judaism, and studies, or being in contact with Christians Zoroastrianism) is permitted.”3 The draft outside of Iran) as political activities that Charter was widely seen as a major step threaten the national security of Iran. by Rouhani’s administration to improve the Therefore Christians continue to be issued situation of human rights in Iran. long prison sentences and/or corporal punishment. Churches continue to be However, Rouhani’s early promises have pressured into ceasing all services or not been implemented: throughout the first activities in the national language of 18 months of his term, there has been Persian (Farsi), or are closed down. continuing systemic persecution and Property belonging to Christians has discrimination against Christians and other continued to be seized, and Christians religious minorities in Iran. Among continue to face discrimination in the Christians, the worst forms of persecution workplace and in educational institutions. continue to be reserved for those who have converted to Christianity from a There has been no substantive change in Muslim background (who tend to gather in Iran’s human rights record since the informal house churches), and for those election of President Rouhani; in fact by some indicators you could argue that things have gotten worse. 1 http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2013/08/rouhanis- 2http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/08/19/319474/ Ajay Sharma, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, extremism-harmful-to-nation-rouhani/ Westminster hearing, 2 December 2014 3 http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2014/01/draft- citizenship/

3 Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report who minister among Muslim-background International NGO Open Doors4 has believers. ranked the Islamic Republic of Iran at number 7 on its World Watch List 2015. The Inquiry heard that the Islamic This list ranks nations according to the Republic of Iran is becoming less, rather level of pressure and persecution that than more, tolerant of dissenting voices. Christian communities face in that nation, with the worst global situation ranked at One man was arrested because, as far as the authorities were concerned, his social number 1. According to the assessment media activities went too far in questioning of the World Watch List, the situation of some of the tenets of Islam and now he Christians has deteriorated in the past year in Iran, which was previously ranked has been sentenced to death. This is a at number 9 in the World Watch List 2014. dangerous trend. I hear from some people that the reason the regime is taking such a The given reason for this change in tough line against people like him is ranking is that “more Christians were sentenced to prison and pressure on because a lot of people are becoming those detained increased [in the reporting disappointed with Islam as a religion 5 because of what the regime is doing. period - 2014]”. People are converting to Christianity or The number of Christians believed to be other religions - this is becoming very detained in prison at the end of December dangerous for the regime. The harsh 2014 was estimated at 92.6 During 2014, sentences are a way of controlling the over 110 individual Christians spent time situation. behind bars.7 These figures could be far Sadeq Saba, Editor BBC Persian, Westminster lower than the real number of detainees, hearing, 2 December 2014 because many cases are kept confidential Witnesses were generally in agreement due to security concerns. that even if President Rouhani should I had a slight hope that with Rouhani there want to improve religious freedom and would be more freedom... So I gave him a other human rights in Iran, he does not vote. But no laws have been changed. have the authority to do so. There is no increase in freedom for Before Mostafa’s appeal hearing, we Christians. thought maybe because of Rouhani, Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 20 something would change. But [our lawyer] said, ‘No: prison, Christianity, Sufis, The main body of this report documents Bahá’ís, is in the security system’s hands; the various forms of persecution and not in Rouhani’s hands. He doesn’t have discrimination that Christians currently any power.’ We can see it now: in many face in Iran. cities we heard they tortured- physically- our sisters and brothers. Nothing has 4 changed. www.opendoors.org 5 Open Doors, Persecution Dynamics - Iran Gilda Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 27 6 This estimate is shared by Middle East Concern November 2014 (MEC), Article 18 and the American Centre for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and was calculated through the sharing of latest information between these organisations and others. 7 This figure comprises Christians who were known to be serving judicial sentences during 2014, and also Christians who were known to be detained pre- trial, either for days, weeks or months. Figure provided by Elam Ministries.

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4. Evidence of persecution We feel very strongly that this kind of language needs to be made known and discrimination around the world. They say there is

religious freedom, but clearly religious 4.1. Background freedom is not there. The panel gathered evidence of continued David Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries, Westminster widespread and targeted persecution of hearing 2 December 2014 Christians in Iran under Rouhani. The most severe abuse is faced by Christians 4.3. Monitoring and harassment who have converted from a Muslim background, and those who engage in Christian converts in Iran - and any ministry among Persian-speaking people Christians who minister among individuals of a Muslim background. However, from a Muslim background - know they are restrictions and discrimination are faced either already being monitored by the by all Christians. Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), or that MOIS may identify them For every person who chooses to become and begin monitoring at any time. a Christian in Iran, you live with the knowledge that the government is against If you talk to anyone, they are very careful you. And that’s the story that has about phones. They know they can’t send continued to play out under Rouhani. emails or Skype... they have to be very David Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries, Westminster careful about where they meet, how they hearing, 2 December 2014 meet... everyone says the same story. The constant theme is pressure. 4.2. Hostile rhetoric David Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries, Westminster hearing, 2 December 2014 Hostile and negative rhetoric toward Iran’s The Inquiry heard that following release Christian community and other minorities from detention or imprisonment, Christians has continued to be espoused by often continue to be monitored and government figures and clerics during harassed: Rouhani’s presidency. The first year [following my release from Iran’s non-tolerance of conversion from Evin prison] was so hard because we Islam (apostasy) was articulated publicly could see police around our home, and we in October 2014 by Ali Younesi, Rouhani’s could hear they were listening to our senior advisor on Ethnic and Religious telephone. The first year was very hard. I Minority Affairs. During an interview with think that they really wanted to show us the conservative news agency, Fars, that they are still checking us. Many times Younesi declared that “Converting to when we were going out, we could see different sects is illegal in our country” and they were near to our house. also that evangelism is illegal for minority Sara Akhavan Fard, Westminster hearing, 16 faith groups. It has long been known that December 2014 Iran does not tolerate conversion to minority faiths, nor evangelism, but this Often the MOIS particularly target interview is the most recent, direct and Christian leaders, but family members of public affirmation of these policies from a the individual can also find themselves senior figure. targeted for harassment. For example, threats were faced for many years by a

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Christian internet pastor called Farhad8, 4.4. Closure of, and pressure on, according to Elam Ministries. Farhad had churches learnt that the MOIS knew about his involvement in the distribution of Christian Since the 1979 Revolution, the scriptures and books, which would government has not granted a licence for provoke a harsh punishment. After a the establishment of a new church Christian friend of his was arrested and organisation or allowed the construction of interrogated, Farhad feared he too would any church building, Orthodox, Protestant, soon be arrested, and he decided to leave or other. It has required recognised Iran. Following Farhad’s departure, churches to limit attendance to those who Farhad’s elderly mother, and his sister and are not from a Muslim background, and to brother-in-law have continued to face conduct services only in the minority threats on an almost daily basis. They languages of Assyrian or Armenian. have also had to relocate to another city Churches have also been closed down, because agents of MOIS informed the and had leaders arrested, if they refused local community that they are ‘apostates’ to comply with these restrictions. from Islam. During Ahmadinejad’s government, they Church members are also often subject to closed many formal churches in Iran, and harassment following the arrest of their we had to go to home churches. And they leader. told us- especially Ayatollah Khamenei said very officially - that home churches Sometimes they call [our church are against the law, and you should not go members]... they want them to go to their to home churches, just the official office, and they threaten them. They ask churches. And they closed the official some questions, but illegally- informally. churches - so what should we do? Mostafa Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 27 Mostafa Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 27 November 2014 November 2014.

It is not only the house church Christians The Inquiry heard that the authorities have that face monitoring, but also religious continued to put pressure on registered institutions. Most of the remaining churches during Rouhani’s presidency. registered churches have government security cameras installed outside of them. Since Rouhani got to power, at least two Although these institutions are registered official Protestant churches in Tehran and recognised by the government, have been banned to hold any religious religious minorities continue to be viewed services in the Persian language. with suspicion. Morad Mokhtari, Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre, quoted in Open Doors’ submission to the Armenian and Jewish churches and Inquiry synagogues respectively are under An increasing number of churches were intense government surveillance. closed and their leaders arrested. The Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, Westminster government intensified its campaign to hearing, 16 December 2014 remove Farsi-speaking Christians from the

country... Severe surveillance on house- churches leads to increasing fear among those attending. Open Doors’ submission to the Inquiry 8 Pseudonym

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4.5. House raids pass their children over to someone else. They just took them all to the detention Witnesses testified that raids on private centre for interrogation. homes of Christians, and subsequent Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 arrests and detentions, are widespread in

Iran. These raids are most often reported to have been orchestrated by agents of 4.6. Arrests and arbitrary detention MOIS, and can sometimes involve violence. In one house raid of July 2014, a Christians are often arrested in private 12 year old boy endured physical abuse. homes following house raids and taken to detention centres or prison for They gathered everything, including the interrogation. However this is not always computer. Before they gathered the things the case. The Inquiry heard Yaghoob they took me to a room. One of them explain how he was arrested in July 2014: asked me, ‘Where are the books that your family has been giving out?’ They asked I was listening to Christian songs in my me if I was a Christian. I said I was, and car, when all of a sudden, a car pulled in then they hit me, and said ‘You had no front of me. There were four people right to become a Christian.’ dressed in black. They all got out of the Elma (age 12), video testimony, filmed 26 car. They opened the door of my car, and November 2014 took me to their own car... The person who had been standing further back Three men entered the house and started opened the door and sat next to me in the searching without my consent... They said car, and started hitting me. They were I had to bring them all our Gospels. I said asking me continuously, ‘Where are the ‘We don’t have - we just have a couple for New Testaments?’ As he was hitting me, ourselves’... I said, ‘What did we do that he would keep asking the same question you should enter our home like this? Are over and over... He would threaten me, we murderers? Thieves? Criminals?’ The saying, ‘I will kill you.’ man swore at me. He said it would be Yaghoob, video testimony, filmed 26 November better for me to be a murderer or a thief 2014 than a Christian or a Jew. Mina, (Elma’s mother) video testimony, filmed 26 Yaghoob was detained and interrogated November 2014 for many weeks following his arrest.

Raids on private residences tend to be When Christians are arrested, often their directed against homes where Christians families and friends are not notified of who meet for church services or Bible studies, has taken them, or where they have gone. or where Christian leaders meet together. For days or even weeks, the loved one is simply missing. Eight agents came in with guns and with weapons, and a camera to film and take For a whole week we didn’t have any photos. They came inside the home and information about Mostafa. And his family filmed each person.... They gathered up searched for him... but they couldn’t find all the computers and books... They out where he was, or what happened to brought [the thirteen church leaders] him. outside and put them all in a van. Two of Gilda, Mostafa’s wife, filmed 27 November 2014 them had children. The intelligence agents didn’t even give them the opportunity to

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An arrest of a Christian leader negatively The interrogations were very long, and profoundly impacts the church (or sometimes, six hours or seven. churches) that they led. Church members Mostafa Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 27 are often too scared to meet with each November 2014 other following the arrest of their leader, or The methods of interrogations in jail have fellow members. It can take a long time become harsher. In several cases, before these Christians feel they are Christians were seriously physically and safely able to have contact with other mentally abused, including threats of Christians again. execution. We had 30-40 members in our house They took me to the central intelligence church but they have no pastor at the office in our city. Then they started beating moment; they have been scattered. me up again. I don’t know how long it took; Yaghoob, video testimony, filmed 26 November maybe 10 to 15 minutes. My lips were 2014 split. My mouth was full of blood... He Each arrest entails its own trauma for the pushed me off the chair, and then put his individuals and their loved ones, and the hand on my throat as if he was choking number of estimated arrests has me. The main question was, ‘Where do increased from previous years. During you get the New Testaments from?’ Rouhani’s presidency, the MOIS has not Yaghoob, video testimony, filmed 26 November diminished its efforts to crush the growth 2014 of the church through the arrest and For the three sisters, most of the time a detention of Christian leaders and those familiar female voice was broadcast as if seen to be involved in Christian ministry. she was being tortured, and they At least 75 Christians were arrested in constantly heard it while they were being 2014. interrogated. It affected them very badly Open Doors submission to the Inquiry psychologically... In one of the interrogations of one of the ladies, they hit her several times in the face with a shoe, 4.7. Interrogation and one of the other ladies, they kicked her so much that she fell down to the floor. Interrogations of Christian detainees or But they kept on kicking her. prisoners are most often perpetrated by Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 agents of the MOIS. Detainees often endure sessions of interrogation that last Whenever any convert to Christianity is many hours, and face regular sessions arrested, pressure is put on them to across many days or weeks, in between persuade them to return to Islam during which they are generally held in solitary interrogation and throughout their time in confinement. detention.

The interrogations were between 12 at We hear story after story of people being night to 5 in the morning to pressurise forced to sit and listen to mullahs or high- them mentally and psychologically. ranking scholars - professors of Islam... Faraz Dolatkhah, Westminster hearing, 2 December They speak constantly against the Bible. 2014 David Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries, Westminster hearing, 2 December 2014

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After solitary cell, they put me in another This dear sister said to me: ‘They would cell with a junior of the government of Iran, torture us sexually with sexual threats... to convert me to Islam. For fifty days he They would say the house groups are a tried to attack Christianity. place of prostitution - not worship. They Mostafa Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 26 would look at us with sexual desires.’ November 2014 Faraz Dolatkhah, Westminster hearing, 2 December 2014 Unfortunately the intelligence service summoned me back after seven days Despite Iranian laws which dictate that [following the raid on my home]. They prisoners of conscience should be interrogated me in front of my brother-in- imprisoned separately from prisoners law... They said, ‘If you stay in this convicted of violent crimes, in reality, this country and don’t return to Islam, we will rule is often violated. Farshid Fathi kidnap your children and you, and kill your (Christian pastor, imprisoned since husband.’ December 2010) suffered an injury in April Mina, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 2014 during a violent raid on ward 350 of Evin prison. He was subsequently moved in August 2014 to a more brutal prison: 4.8. Conditions in prisons and Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht). At time of detention centres printing, he remains there, incarcerated alongside hardened criminals. Mistreatment and abuse, both physical and psychological, are rife in Iran’s They put [Farshid] with many drug addicts detention centres and prisons, where in a very dirty place between many hard many Christians are housed to serve prisoners... Even he couldn’t call his sentences or during pre-trial investigation. family and he couldn’t have his Bible. Even his clothes were taken. They took They put me in a very small cell... I had to all his things. sleep on the floor. They gave me very dirty clothes. For 26 days, I was in my cell Sara Akhavan Fard, Westminster hearing, 16 December 2014 alone. Sara Akhavan Fard, Westminster hearing, 16 Farshid Fathi was not the only Christian December 2014 prisoner who was violently beaten in 2014: Behnam Irani, Saeed Abedini, Silas I had no shoes or socks during those 17 Rabbani, Maryam Naghash Zargaran and days in the detention centre. And at the Amin Khaki were also reported to have end of my time I couldn’t even stand up been physically abused while serving their because of the pain in my feet. sentences. Yaghoob, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 The most common form of mistreatment of The Inquiry heard from Faraz Dolatkhah Christians in prisons and detention centres about a group of Christians in Iran who is psychological. Christians are told that were arrested in early 2013, but whose loved ones are sick, that spouses have cases continued to be under investigation been unfaithful, or that elderly parents are at the time of the Inquiry (December also imprisoned, to put pressure on the 2014): prisoner. Some guards, as well as interrogators, torment prisoners with psychological games.

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One of the guards came to our cell, and Moharebah is a charge most often used said, 'Sara, get ready, you should come against dissident journalists, political with us.' And my sister [Leila] asked them, activists and human rights defenders: it is 'Where are you taking Sara?' The guard a ‘sweeping and aggressive charge’, laughed, and said, 'We are going to kill according to Dr. Shaheed, the United her'. And I really got scared... I changed Nations Special Rapporteur on human my clothes and I followed her, and as I rights in Iran. In the aforementioned case, followed her, I understood they were not the charges were overturned at appeal. going to kill me: they were going to let me However, there are fears that these out of the prison. But they said this lie to serious charges could be applied again to Leila to put her under more pressure. Christians in the future. Sara Akhavan Fard, Westminster hearing, 16 December 2014 Christians are not only in danger of facing long prison sentences: they can also face corporal punishment. One known Christian 4.9. Court-issued punishments prisoner was sentenced to 70 lashes in December 2014: it is believed the Those Christians whose cases are punishment will be carried out when his brought to court tend to be convicted on prison term concludes. Lashes have been political rather than explicitly religious meted out in other cases during Rouhani’s charges, usually under the vague and presidency: often abused ‘Security Laws’ section of the penal code. Sentences issued to In October 2013, four Christians from a Christians tend to range between one year house church network were sentenced to and eight years. 80 lashes for taking communion, with the sentence being carried out on at least two People are sometimes accused of political of the four men soon thereafter. crimes, when what they have been CSW Submission to the Inquiry involved in is religious activities. Ajay Sharma, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, At the first stage, all of the men were Westminster hearing, 2 December 2014 sentenced to 60 lashes and the ladies to They are usually tried in Revolutionary 48 lashes each... And also one year in prison for all of them. The sentence still Courts, which are effectively national hasn’t been confirmed. security courts. Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 Dr Shaheed’s Submission to the Inquiry

The Iranian judiciary has used various A further way that the judiciary can new methods to further intimidate intimidate Christians is by applying fresh Christian prisoners, and the Christian charges to prisoners. Behnam Irani (a community in general, during Rouhani’s pastor imprisoned since 2011) received presidency. eighteen new charges in 2014. Thankfully these were subsequently dropped, but not In a worrying development under Rouhani, before the pastor and his family had been three Christian converts were charged subjected to significant trauma and stress. with the capital offences of Mofsed-e-filarz Similarly, upon his transfer to Rajai Shahr (spreading corruption on earth) and prison in August 2014, Farshid Fathi was Moharebeh (enmity against God). informed that he was being charged with CSW Submission to the Inquiry possession of alcohol while in Evin prison. He was summoned to court on 29

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December 2014, falsely convicted and 4.10. Pressure to flee given a further one year sentence. It is believed an appeal is pending. To avoid serving unjust prison sentences, many Christians and their families flee Occasionally, a Christian is acquitted of Iran, meaning that Iran’s harsh policies are charges related to their Christian activities, prompting an exodus of Christians from but the Inquiry heard that such rare the country. acquittals are due to the attitudes of individual judges, rather than a signal of We received a summons [to court]. judiciary-wide reformation. The Inquiry [Yaghoob] said, ‘We have to leave the heard that Mostafa Bordbar was acquitted country or I may go to prison, and they of national security charges in November may abuse you, or pressure us to become 2013, because his appeal was heard by Muslim again. an independent judge, rather than a judge Mina, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 that was affiliated with the MOIS. The Indeed, the primary goal of the MOIS judge ruled that Mostafa’s Christian seems to be to terrorise Christians activities did not constitute any crime (especially leaders/pastors) into leaving against the Islamic Republic. However, Iran as refugees. One group of Christians many Christians have their sentences who faced trial in east Iran in autumn 2014 upheld at appeal. were told by the judge that the court was A Christian defendant has not been deliberately delaying issuing a verdict reported to have been sentenced to death against them, in order to give the group since Yousef Nadarkhani received a death time to flee the country. sentence in 2010 for apostasy Christians who leave Iran voluntarily save (abandoning Islam). However, most Iran the high costs of court cases, the Christians who have been detained report costs of housing Christians in prisons for that they were threatened with the death many years and crucially, it saves Iran penalty many times by interrogators and from further international outcry. The guards. The possibility remains that male Inquiry heard that the government wants Christians could be sentenced to death for to see the Christian community remove apostasy: although apostasy is not itself from the country, for there are simply encoded in Iran’s laws, judges can invoke too many of them to jail. Article 167 of Iran’s Constitution, which allows them to refer to ‘authentic Islamic They bailed them, and also threatened to sources or authoritative Fatwas’ when kill them... in a way they force these making their judgements. Under Sharia people to flee Iran. law, apostasy is punishable by death for Faraz Dolatkhah, Westminster hearing, 2 December men and life imprisonment for women. 2014 Christians could also potentially face death sentences for the aforementioned crimes of Moharebeh or Mofsed-e-filarz. 4.11. Lack of due process

Article 32 of Iran’s Constitution states that all detainees must be formally charged in writing within 24 hours of detention. Article 32 of the Code of Criminal Procedure allows for detainees to be held for longer without charge if a judge has issued a

11 Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report temporary detention order for cases Bail conditions for those Christians involving the Security Laws, but article 33 arrested are often high - up to the gives the accused the right to appeal equivalent of $200,000, often his/her detention order within 10 days. necessitating the submission of land and property titles deeds. Each year, scores of Christians are MEC Submission to the Inquiry detained for weeks or months without being formally charged, without access to They gave [four Christians who were a lawyer, and without any opportunity to arrested in 2014] very heavy bails: around be brought before a judge. Due process is 400 million or 350 million. flagrantly violated in the cases of most Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014 Christians.

They arrested everybody in the house. 4.13. Appropriation of property The leaders asked, ‘Do you have warrants to arrest us?’ But they didn’t show any The authorities seized a large and warrants. valuable private home belonging to a Faraz Dolatkhah, Westminster hearing, 2 December prominent Iranian Christian leader, 2014 because of his Christian ministry. An appeal against the confiscation was heard, At first, they didn’t allow me to have a and was unsuccessful, in early 2014. The lawyer. But after - I think - one and a half property is now in the possession of the months, then they allowed me to have a government. lawyer. But they didn’t let me meet him. Some days before the court, my wife The wife of Christian prisoner Rasoul found a human rights activist lawyer, and Abdollahi (who began serving a three-year at the court I had two lawyers: one by sentence in December 2013 and was force and one by choice. At the court, the released in February 2015) was forced to judge didn’t let me talk normally. He had hand over the family home in Tehran to decided to do anything he wanted. They the authorities in spring 2014. It seems gave me a ten-year sentence. very likely that these are not isolated Mostafa Bordbar, video testimony, filmed 27 examples of this form of persecution. November 2014

4.14. Social and political restrictions 4.12. Unjust bail Armenian and Assyrian Christians are Extortionate sums are often demanded for recognised as legitimate religious the temporary release of Christian minorities under Iran’s Constitution. prisoners. The deeds to homes or However, they do face difficulties in Iran, businesses are sometimes submitted, and do not have the same status or the meaning that Christian families can lose same rights as Shia Muslim citizens. these assets if the charged individual does Before the law, in society and civic life, not go to court when summoned. Thus constitutional recognition does not protect extraordinary economic pressure is placed them from discrimination. on the Christian community. Traditional Persian Jewish, Armenian and

Assyrian Christian, and Zoroastrian communities are technically recognised

12 Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report and protected under Iranian law, but they Jewish, Zoroastrian and Christian are relegated to second class status. For minorities are barred from serving in the example, the regime likes to tout the fact officer corps and various other official that a limited number of token Christians, bodies. Jews and Zoroastrians have seats in its Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, Westminster rubber stamp parliament, or Majils. That’s hearing, 16 December 2014 because these minorities are not allowed Schools belonging to religious minorities to contest other seats. are often headed by Shia Muslim directors Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, Westminster or overseen by Muslim Superintendents. hearing, 16 December 2014 Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal, Westminster Converts to Christianity have additional hearing, 16 December 2014 battles to face in daily life. Most converts Furthermore, conversion away from Islam still have names that identify them as can lead to the loss of a job in state having a Muslim heritage. Given that institutions, or in cases where the conversion is not tolerated, these employer does not tolerate conversion. individuals are still viewed and treated as The Inquiry heard from Ermia who was Muslim in Iranian law and bureaucracy. sacked in summer 2013: For someone who has become a I worked in a pharmacy of a state hospital Christian, it’s very hard for them to get in Tehran. From the boss of the legally married unless they have an department, I was given a letter, because Islamic ceremony - and many of them do my colleagues had found out that I had not want to have an Islamic ceremony... become a Christian. And the boss also And I know several people who... were not heard about this. Despite all my allowed to name their children the name colleagues testifying that I was a good they wanted if it was not an Islamic name. employee and was conscientious in my David Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries, Westminster work, still they gave me a letter telling me I hearing, 2 December 2014 was sacked... Because of the connections

between the hospitals, I wasn’t able to find 4.15. Discrimination in education and work in another hospital. employment Ermia, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014

Iran’s laws and policies, which create a With regards to education, according to Dr framework of discrimination and which Shaheed, University regulations continue directly impede religious freedom, have to officially grant admission only to not changed since Rouhani became Muslims or members of officially President. recognized minority religions. Christian converts and unrecognised religious There continues to be a limit to how high minorities can face pressure within religious minorities can ascend in their academic institutions; or lose opportunities careers. The ‘gozinesh criterion’, a for education or the right to complete selection procedure requiring prospective educational courses because of their faith. state officials and employees to Elham, Ermia’s wife, was removed from demonstrate allegiance to the Islamic her university course a few months after Republic of Iran and the state religion, her pastor was detained and interrogated puts a glass ceiling onto the career by the MOIS. prospects of religious minorities.

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When my pastor was freed from prison, she said to me, ‘During interrogation, I was given a list and your name was on the list’... I was thrown out [of university]. I cannot give any reason why they threw me out: morally and educationally I had no problems. I asked them to let me study my last term on my own, if my presence was causing problems. They didn’t let me stay. They didn’t even give me any documentation about the courses I had completed... They said, ‘The rules of the university do not allow us to keep you here.’ Elham, video testimony, filmed 26 November 2014

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5. Recommendations diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic is contingent on a We want the UK Parliament to put significant improvement in the pressure on the Iranian regime and protection of religious freedom for highlight the fact that the Iranian people all Iranian citizens. Specifically that are undergoing persecution. The regime religious freedom, and human might present themselves very well, but if rights in general, are priority issues the UK Parliament shows that it knows within the dialogue about the what is really happening then they might pending re-opening of Iran’s ease the pressure on the house churches. Embassy in . Faraz Dolatkhah, Westminster hearing, 2 December d) We ask the British Government, in 2014 2015 and 2016, to vote in support of the renewal of the mandate of The Christians in Parliament APPG and the United Nations special the APPG for International Freedom of rapporteur on Human Rights in Religion or Belief concur with the Iran, and to actively encourage recommendations of Dr Ahmed Shaheed, other member states of the Human the UN Special Rapporteur on human Rights Council to do likewise. rights in Iran, to the Iranian government, e) We ask the British Government to as found in the appendix to this report. appoint a UK Special Envoy for Further, the APPGs make the following Freedom of Religion or Belief recommendations, reflecting the (FoRB) within the FCO, and work seriousness that the panel feels should be to appoint an EU Special attached to the rights of religious Rapporteur on freedom of religion minorities in Iran. or belief. 5.1. To the British government f) We ask the British Government to produce an annual FoRB report to a) We ask the British Government to show what the government is use appropriate channels to urge doing to promote FoRB around the the Islamic Republic of Iran to world. uphold its obligations under

international law to protect the human rights of all its citizens, 5.3. To Persian-language news services including the right to freedom of religion or belief, as articulated in BBC Persian has about 12 million viewers the International Covenant on Civil in Iran according to a survey done in 2013. and Political Rights (ICCPR), to That’s just in Iran - we also broadcast to which Iran is a party. Afghanistan, so we have a large audience. b) We ask the British Government to Sadeq Saba, Editor of BBC Persian, Westminster request the release of prisoners of hearing, 2 December 2014 conscience upon the occasion of Norouz (Persian New Year), who We ask BBC Persian Television, Voice of are serving prison sentences solely America Persian and other Persian- for reason of their religious beliefs language news services to broadcast or activities. more regularly about the persecution and c) We ask the British Government to discrimination that religious minorities face ensure that any upgrade of in Iran.

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Appendix: Statement from Dr. Many of you may already be familiar with Ahmed Shaheed, United the fact that the Iranian constitution only recognizes the faith of Jews, Christians, Nations Special Rapporteur on and Zoroastrians, and that despite this the situation of human rights recognition the followers of these religions in the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to be accorded limited freedom to hold and practice their beliefs. As a In the months following my appointment to starting point, recognition provisions the United Nations Special Procedures, I forwarded in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s noted that Iran possesses some of the Constitution remain at the heart of the basic tools to protect and promote human matter; establishing a hierarchical rights in the country, but concluded that framework that accords specific privileged the effect of certain national laws and status to adherents of Islam, Christianity, practices undermine any intent to promote Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and officially equality between men and women, or excludes members of unlisted religions equity for the country’s religious and like members of the Bahá’í community, or ethnic minorities. that of new groups or communities, from the full and equal right to manifest their Iran is, for example, a party to two religion or belief in accordance with the international treaties that clearly outline tenets of their faith. rights to freedom of expression, conscience, religion, education, and to In a reply to one of my reports the work; stipulating that these rights must be Government emphasized that adherents equally enjoyed, regardless of gender, to recognized religions are entitled to religion, or ethnicity, and prescribing very manifest their beliefs, “within the limits of narrow limits in which these rights may be the law”, which is governed by velāyat-e restricted. Although the Iranian faqīh, or the Shia idea of the absolute constitution also introduces these rights, guardianship of the Islamic jurist. The certain constitutional, criminal, and civil Iranian government has also resorted to a legal provisions invariably give rise to differentiation between “religions” and second and third class citizens by either “sects” in order to make citizenship systematically limiting or completely dependent on affiliation with recognized denying existing rights protections to the religions; and to deny members of country’s religious minorities. unrecognized religions or to sects that manifest behaviour it considers These laws and policies continue to tantamount to propaganda against the essentially dictate who can enjoy basic regime, the possibility of obtaining the rights, in what context these rights may be status of legal personality. This includes enjoyed, and to what extent. What sects of Christianity, like Evangelical Iranians are left with is a legal framework Christians, that proselytize. that is appropriated to harass, rather than protect religious minorities; restricting their I should note that communities lacking religious practices and creating legal personality status are faced with impediments to their education, freedom obstacles when trying to establish bank of expression, association, assembly, and accounts, officially employ individuals to to their economic opportunities. work for their community, or to establish private denominational schools. This in turn may have negative repercussions on

16 Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report the ability, for example, to obtain property Christianity. Most of these individuals join in order to establish places of worship. Evangelical Christian churches, as And although a legal personality status opposed to the Armenian and Assyrian should be understood as an option, and Christian denominations, which comprise not an obligation imposed on religious or the majority of Christians in the country, belief communities by the State, status is but don’t generally proselytize, or accept compulsory in Iran in order to manifest new converts; reportedly due in part to beliefs, either publicly or privately. Those security reasons. communities, for whatever reasons, that prefer not to obtain such a status, or that This year, converts report that they are have difficulty registering as a legal entity specifically targeted for harassment and continue to be penalized. sometimes prosecution, because some Iranian officials see them as a threat to the Members of “non-registered” religious governing political and religious systems, communities continue to experience police and sometimes as a tool of the West to harassment, surveillance or even criminal undermine these structures. They argue sanctions, as their activities are deemed that despite no longer being threatened by illegal by the State or certain State the charge of apostasy, Christian converts agencies. Restrictive measures continue still face the threat of being charged with to include the confiscation of property, vague and overly-broad “national security” financial sanctions, imprisonment and in crimes, such as propaganda against the some cases even the use of torture. system, acting against national security, Target groups may include communities assembly and collusion against the that have been denied registration status system, insulting the Supreme Leader or against their will and communities not the President, or “agitating the public wishing to obtain any such legal status. consciousness.”

While many remain sceptical about the The number of arrests since President prospects for addressing these issues, I Rouhani took office has been difficult to maintain cautious optimism; taking note of ascertain, but reports that these arrests certain actions that signal political will to continue remain relatively unabated. On address international and national human Christmas Day 2013, five Christian rights concerns, but also bearing in mind converts — Ahmad Bazyar, Faegheh that actions in the form of declarations or Nasrollahi, Mastaneh Rastegari, Amir the repeal of laws and policies don’t Hossein Nematollahi, and a man by the necessarily translate into enduring or even last name of Hosseini — were arrested in cursory reform. a house-church in Eastern Tehran. This past New Year’s Eve, four Christians were Last year, for example, I reported that the violently arrested at a holiday celebration new Islamic Penal Code now omits any mention of “apostasy”, heresy, and in Karaj, outside of Tehran, by plainclothes witchcraft as criminal offences. security officials. In July of this year three individuals, including Pastor Matthias Regardless, my reports to the United Haghnejad, were arrested and taken into Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council this past year continue to custody. All had previously served prison put forward concerns about the situation of time for acting against national security Christians. Particular attention in these and propaganda against the system. And this October, three Iranian Christian reports has been paid to the treatment of converts, including one who was individuals who convert from Islam to

17 Christians in Parliament APPG and APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief Joint Report producing a film on the life of Jesus, were Last month, the UN General Assembly’s also reportedly arrested. Third Committee voted to adopt its annual resolution on the situation of human rights Pastor Saeed Abedini continues to in the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing languish in prison, apparently for nothing its continued concern over the human more than expressing his faith. I have rights situation in the country. The repeatedly appealed the Government of adoption of this resolution sends an Iran to provide him with adequate access important message of optimism tempered to medical care and to reconsider his by the need for concrete actions that result case. In October, Iranian authorities in comprehensive and equal protections apparently dropped capital charges for the rights promulgated by the against Pastor Behnam Irani in exchange international human rights treaties. for the addition of six years to his previous five-year prison sentence. If the current Recommendations sentences hold, then, he will remain in prison through 2023. President Rouhani’s election has been, and continues to be viewed by many as an It’s important to continue to recognize that opportunity to introduce moderate legal from a legal perspective—at least when it and institutional reforms that result in comes to arrests and prosecutions—Iran’s improved protections for human rights. persecution of religious minorities often The positive signals and statements resembles its persecution of government forwarded by President Rouhani and his critics. And even though these religious government in the months following his communities – as communities – often shy election engendered an increase in away from politics, they’re often seen by international expectations for tangible and the Government through a political and sustainable reforms, but unfortunately “national security” lens. Evangelical these reforms have not come to fruition to Christians, Muslim Dervishes, and Bahá’ís date. alike are often charged with the same Penal Code violations as, for example, For its part, the Iranian Government must dissident journalists, political activists or take immediate and simple steps to human rights defenders. Iran’s use of the address aspects of the legal system that crime of moharabeh – enmity against God work to arbitrarily exclude individuals from – is both sweeping and aggressive, and legal protections based on the again relatively unique within the Islamic government’s own precepts of what world. constitutes a religion and the extent to which one may practice his/her beliefs. This continues to be evident in the cases Steps must also be taken to ensure that of Christians arrested this past year where respect for freedom of religion or belief as we see many hallmarks of the legal issues a human right does not depend on faced by religious minorities in Iran. That administrative registration procedures, as is, they are routinely charged with acting freedom of religion or belief has the status against national security; of conspiring of a human right, prior to and independent with the Islamic Republic’s foreign from any acts of State approval. “enemies”; and of collusion against the Government by “organizing” gatherings or Authorities must also cease utilizing house churches. And they are usually tried overly-broad, vague, and seemingly mis- in Revolutionary Courts, which are applied “national security” charges to effectively national security courts. restrict human rights. The need to ensure

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“public order” and related national security legal personality they had possessed should not in itself jeopardize such rights before, as an instrument of exercising as religious freedom or freedom of control or marginalizing groups. expression. Rather, restrictions on fundamental rights must be the exception We must also continue to hold Iran and not the norm. accountable to the benchmarks it will accept this coming March as a result of Furthermore, Iran should offer appropriate Iran’s Universal Periodic Review this past options for religious or belief communities October, during which a significant to achieve the status of legal personality number of similar recommendations to on a domestic level, a status needed for that of 2010 were forwarded by member undertaking important community states and signalling the international functions relevant for the full exercise of community’s recognition that virtually no freedom of religion or belief. Registration real progress in addressing problematic procedures for obtaining legal personality legal and long-term official practices has status should be quick, transparent, fair, been achieved. inclusive and non-discriminatory. My engagement with Iranian officials and Iran should refrain from exercising the Government’s cooperation with my pressure on religious or belief groups mandate remains perfunctory and whose members prefer not to be reflective of the fact that no single view registered as legal entities under domestic about how to engage with the international law; and the Government should instruct community’s concerns governs Iran’s law enforcement and judicial officials that approach to achieving its clear goal to play religious activities of non-registered a prominent role on the international religious or belief communities are not stage. However, if the government illegal, as the status of freedom of religion chooses to take a path towards or belief prevails over any acts of State constructive engagement on these issues registration. of concern, if it expresses its determination to strengthen the promotion Iran should review its registration and protection of human rights for all decisions to ensure they are clearly Iranians, it will find in me, and in the wider defined formal elements of law and in international community, partners in conformity with international law. addressing these deep structural and legal Registration should neither depend on issues, which go to the heart of the Islamic extensive formal requirements in terms of Republic’s most alarming problems. the number of members and the time a particular community has existed, nor should it depend on the review of the substantive content of the belief, the structure of the community and methods of appointment of the clergy.

Iran must also provide effective legal remedies for individuals or groups complaining about the denial or arbitrary delay of registration as a legal personality, and should refrain from arbitrarily stripping certain religious or belief communities of

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To contact the Christians in Parliament All To contact the All Party Parliamentary Party Parliamentary Group, please write to Group for International Freedom of us at: Religion or Belief, please write to us at: Christians in Parliament APPG Baroness Berridge of the Vale of Room 484, Portcullis House Catmose House of Commons House of Lords Westminster Westminster London London SW1A 2LW SW1P 3AD

This report is available online at: www.christiansinparliament.org.uk www.freedomdeclared.org

20 Published March 2015