Iranian Officials Order Christians to Hand Over Church Property or Face Arrest
Iranian authorities have issued demands to Christian communities to surrender church buildings, threatening arrest for those who refuse. The orders target several congregations in Tehran and other major cities. Human rights groups say the crackdown is part of a broader effort to suppress minority religious groups.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Praise-and-Worship-58b5c8ba5f9b586046caf1fa.jpg)
Iranian government officials have ordered Christian congregations to hand over church properties, warning that leaders who refuse will face arrest, according to reports from human rights organizations monitoring the region.
The demands were issued to multiple churches in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan over the past several weeks. Officials cited zoning violations and unauthorized religious activity as justification, though advocates say the charges are pretextual.
Open Doors USA, which tracks Christian persecution globally, said Iran remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians. The organization ranks Iran among the top ten nations where Christians face the highest levels of hostility.
Several pastors have already been detained in connection with the property disputes. At least two church leaders were taken into custody after refusing to vacate buildings their congregations have used for decades.
The Iranian government does not recognize Protestant and evangelical churches as legitimate religious institutions. Only Armenian and Assyrian Christians, who are considered ethnic minorities, have limited legal protections under Iranian law.
International Christian advocacy groups have called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the situation. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also urged the State Department to designate Iran as a Country of Particular Concern, a status that can trigger diplomatic consequences.
Iranian officials have not publicly commented on the specific property orders. The government has historically framed restrictions on Christian activity as matters of national security rather than religious discrimination.
