Persecution of Christians in Iran: the United Nations’ attention to this matter is most welcome and gratefully received. We continue to pray that it will result in real and effective action to protect Iran’s Christians and other religious minorities.
Please join us in prayer for an end to the persecution of Christians of Iran, that the Christian communities of that country would be strengthened enough to endure their trials and not lose hope.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of Iran, see here.
“Iran’s ‘increasing restrictions’ on religious freedom a ‘serious concern’ – UN,” Article 18, November 19, 2020:
The UN’s General Assembly has passed a resolution expressing “serious concerns” about the situation of human rights in Iran, including “severe limitations” and “increasing restrictions” on religious freedom.
The resolution, passed yesterday by 79 votes to 32, with 64 abstentions, calls on Iran to “eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination on the basis of thought, conscience, religion or belief”, including denial of employment and access to education.
The Iranian government should “cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity”, the resolution says, “release all religious practitioners imprisoned for their membership in or activities on behalf of a recognized or unrecognized minority religious group”, and “ensure everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of their choice”, in accordance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Iran is a signatory.
It lists a number of other rights violations against both recognised and unrecognised minorities, including “harassment, intimidation, persecution, arbitrary arrests and detention, and incitement to hatred that leads to violence”.
Other rights concerns listed in the resolution include:
- Use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
- “Unduly harsh” sentences, including long-term internal exile.
- Persecution of political opponents and rights defenders.
- Poor prison conditions, including lack of access to adequate medical care.
- Restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly….
