Iran cracks down on Christian converts

While Iran made recent headlines for releasing an Iranian-Canadian professor, many people detained by the authoritarian regime don’t gain their freedom so readily—including Iranian Christians targeted by government officials.

Authorities arrested former Muslims Ramiel Bet-Tamraz, Amin Nader Afshar, Hadi Askary, Mohamad Dehnay, and Amir Sina Dashti on Aug. 26, according to Middle East Concern (MEC). When Afshar asked to see an arrest warrant, security officials did not produce one and beat him instead. Officials have given no reason for their arrest and prolonged detention.

MEC estimated Iranian security officials arrested at least 43 Christians in August alone. Converts from Islam face worse treatment in Iran because Sharia law forbids Muslims from converting to other religions.

As of late September, the five Christians’ location and condition remained uncertain and no charges had been announced. Although lengthy detentions are common, it is illegal under Iran’s laws to detain people this long without allowing them access to family or lawyers, according to Mohabat News.

Rob Duncan, MEC’s regional manager for Iran, said his group learned that “until just recently all five men were kept in solitary confinement”—likely in Evin Prison. Duncan also said they’d been interrogated for weeks.

“The good news is that at least Ramiel Bet-Tamraz has been taken out of solitary and is now in a shared cell,” Duncan added.

Ramil is the son of Victor Bet-Tamraz, pastor and former leader of the Pentecostal Assyrian Church in Iran. In 2009, the country’s Interior Ministry shut down the church, which held services in Farsi, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).

Some fear officials detained the five men to gather evidence against Victor Bet-Tamraz, who was arrested in 2014 when authorities interrupted a Christmas celebration. They arrested Victor Bet-Tamraz and Afshar while “participating in an illegal gathering” and charged them with illegal evangelism. They were released on bail in February and March 2015.

The families of the five men fear authorities may pressure them into falsely confessing to criminal acts, a common tactic in Iran.

“Detainees and prisoners continued to report acts of torture and other ill-treatment, particularly during primary investigations mainly to force ‘confessions’ or gather other incriminatory evidence,” Amnesty International stated in its 2015-2016 Iran report.

Duncan called the situation “very worrying.”

“Rarely are ‘ordinary’ Christians detained and interrogated for such long periods,” he said. “As far as I am aware, there has been no criminal activity at all.”

Iran is listed ninth on the World Watch List of most difficult places to be a Christian. In spite of tremendous persecution, an illegal, Christian house church movement thrives in Iran. Persian house church members run the greatest risk of arrest and imprisonment, since the Shi’a theocracy considers them Muslim and prohibits them from attending Christian churches.

While the families of the five Iranian Christians wait for information, Iran announced the release of Iranian-Canadian professor Homa Hoodfar “on humanitarian grounds.” They had detained her since June. Hoodfar researches the role of women in the Middle East, according to The New York Times. Her Sept. 26, release coincided with Iran’s talks with Canada to reopen mutual embassies.