Three Christians who were rearrested for their faith in Iran were subjected to torture, as it has been revealed that prison sentences for Christians in the country increased sixfold in 2024, according to a recent report.
Article 18, a London-based religious freedom NGO, released its annual report this month detailing rights violations against Christians in Iran.
The report, titled “The Tip of the Iceberg” and produced in collaboration with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Middle East Concern, reveals that Christians in Iran received a combined total of 250 years in prison in 2024—a significant rise compared to the previous year.
The report indicates that 96 Christians were sentenced to a total of 263 years in prison, along with 37 years of internal exile and nearly $800,000 in fines. At least 139 Christians were arrested in Iran in 2024 on account of their religious beliefs or activities; 80 were detained and 77 were charged.
It also notes that by the end of 2024, at least 18 Christians were still serving sentences related to their faith, with reports of some detained Christians being physically tortured.
The report highlights the prosecution of Jahangir Alikhani, Hamed Malamiri, and Gholam Eshaghi, who were arrested last year by agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) last year. The Ministry of Intelligence had previously apprehended them, along with 20 others, in December 2023.
After their rearrest, the three men were taken to a detention center in Sari, where they were denied access to legal counsel. They faced charges of “propagating a religion contrary to Islam” and “collaborating with foreign governments,” as outlined in a November 2024 report by Article 18.
The trio was released on November 17, 2024, after posting bail of 1 billion tomans, equivalent to approximately $15,000. During their detention, they endured both physical and psychological torture through prolonged interrogations, being forced to write letters renouncing their faith and apologizing for their actions.
According to the report, another member of the group, Javad Amini, was also rearrested and taken to the detention center in Sari. During Amini's detention, agents with the Ministry of Intelligence interrogated his wife, subjecting her to “severe psychological pressure.”
Amini and two other Christian converts were eventually released on November 27, 2024, also on bail of 1 billion tomans ($15,000).
Before their release, Amini, Alikhani, Malamiri, and Eshaghi, along with eight others, underwent trial at Branch 102 of the Criminal Court of Nowshahr, where Prosecutor Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi charged them with crimes for identifying as Christians and forming groups to educate others about Christianity.
Additionally, the report highlights the confiscation of Christian properties and the targeting of their finances as a growing trend. Iran's Revolutionary Courts define actions such as making financial donations, charitable offerings, or paying tithes as crimes.
“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 organizational help from outside the country,’” the report notes.
The report warns that “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.”