President Trump urged to confront Iranian regime over repression of Christians
Iran has recently launched a new crackdown against Iranian Christians, with reports of the re-arrest of two men who were previously released after spending a combined six years in prison. Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh and Joseph Shahbazian, both in their 60s, were reportedly taken back into custody by Iranian regime intelligence agents and incarcerated in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. Gol-Tapeh is said to be on a hunger strike to protest his “unlawful re-arrest,” according to Article 18, a U.K.-based NGO that advocates for religious freedom in Iran.
In addition to Gol-Tapeh and Shahbazian, a number of other Christians in Tehran were also arrested and remain in custody, signaling a broader crackdown on the Christian community in the country. The situation for Christians in Iran has long been dire, with the government viewing Christian converts as a threat to national security and subjecting them to severe religious freedom violations, including arrests and long prison sentences.
The Trump administration has been urged to shine a spotlight on the human rights violations faced by Iranian Christians and to impose punitive measures on the Iranian regime. Experts on Iran, such as Alireza Nader and Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, emphasize the need for increased pressure on the regime to address the persecution of religious minorities in the country.
One Iranian Christian who fled Iran to Germany to practice her faith freely, Sheina Vojoudi, highlights the alarming growth of Christianity in Iran despite the oppressive environment. International human rights groups consider Christian converts to be political prisoners of conscience, as they remain at constant risk of arrest and punishment even after being released.
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, has raised concerns about the situation of Christians in the country, calling for continued attention to their plight. The U.S. State Department’s report on religious freedom in Iran outlines the government’s continued regulation of Christian religious practices, including the characterization of private Christian churches as illegal networks.
Estimates of the number of Christians in Iran vary, with figures ranging from 117,700 to 1.24 million. The Trump administration’s re-imposition of economic pressure on Iran in February aimed to address Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and support for extremism. Calls for European nations and the U.S. to take meaningful action to uphold freedom of religion and human dignity for Iranian Christians have been made by activists like Vojoudi.
Despite multiple inquiries to Iran’s foreign ministry and U.N. mission, responses on the release of imprisoned Christians have not been received. The international community must continue to pressure Iran to respect religious freedom and uphold fundamental human rights for all its citizens.
