11/12/2020 Iran (International Christian Concern) – Iranian intelligence agents raided 12 Christian homes in the city of Fardis, located near the capital city of Tehran, reports Article 18. Though none were arrested, many personal items were confiscated.
Following these types of raids, it is typical for the intelligence agents to review the confiscated material and then summon the individuals for interrogation. At that point, the individual may be released with a warning, or (more commonly) judicial proceedings are initiated which are often of a national security nature. These charges carry long prison sentences and are meant to intimidate Christians from actively living their faith.
Iran has some extremely limited protections for the faith practice of Assyrian and Armenian Christians, but refuses to acknowledge the faith practice of Persian Christians. This is because Persian Christians are Muslim Background Believers, or converts to Christianity. Persians are born into Islam and the government maintains a such a strict interpretation of Islam that it has left the country filled with human rights abuses.
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