Auteur Inconnu, Licence Ouverte, via Wikimedia Commons

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A new annual report by the Article 18 Iranian persecution watchdog a dramatic increase in the number and length of prison terms handed to Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran last year compared to 2023.

Titled ‘The Tip of the Iceberg’, the report was prepared and published with Open Doors, CSW, and Middle East Concern. Iran ranks 9 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

“Ninety-six Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years in prison last year, compared with 22 Christians sentenced to a total of 43.5 years in 2023,” Article 18 reports.

“There was also a notable increase in lengthy individual sentences, with five Christians receiving 10-year prison terms and another a 15-year sentence – all on account of charges related to their faith or religious activities,” Article 18 said.

“Each arrest was carried out by IRGC intelligence agents, who sought to charge them under a provision within the amended Article 500 of the Islamic Penal Code, which calls for the maximum punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment in cases where the individual has received ‘financial or organisational help from outside the country,” the report says.

“Making financial donations, charitable offerings, or paying tithes to support church activities are standard practices for Christians worldwide, but such activities have been criminalized by Iran’s Revolutionary Courts,” the report explains.

“The Iranian government seems to have intensified its efforts to isolate and financially undermine the Christian community as part of a broader strategy to suppress its growth and influence,” the report attests.

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