Iran — An Iranian court upheld the prison sentences for five Christian converts on Sept. 17. Each of the five believers will spend more than eight years in jail for activities related to their faith in Christ. 

Middle East Concern reported that “the charges, under Articles 500, 500bis and 514 of the Islamic Penal Code, related to their participation in Christian training courses in Turkey, attendance at house-church meetings, participation in online meetings, and other online activities.” 

Mohabat News cited “advertising and propaganda activities contrary to the Islamic law…[and] propaganda against the regime” among the official charges levied against the Christ followers. An additional charge of “insulting the leadership” was also reportedly added for one of the individuals. 

Those who were sentenced are Hesameddin (Yahya) Mohammad Junaidi, Abolfazl (Benyamin) Ahmadzadeh Khajani, Morteza (Calvin) Faghanpour Sasi, and two other individuals whose names haven’t been publicly revealed. 

The five converts were initially arrested in June 2024 in the areas of Varamin and Pishva, Iran, and later released on bail. However, they now must complete their sentences. 

The court’s denial of their appeals comes just weeks after Mehran Shamloui, another Christian convert in Iran, was also denied an appeal. Shamloui must now spend 10 years and 8 months in prison due to his faith. 

In Iran, it is illegal for Muslims to convert to Christianity. Additionally, Bibles written in Farsi, Iran’s national language, are prohibited. 

According to the U.S. Department of State, “[Iranian] law prohibits Muslims from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The only recognized conversions are from other religions to Islam. Under the law, a child born to a Muslim father is Muslim.” 

The persecution of Christians in Iran, particularly those who have converted to the faith, has plagued the nation for decades. However, despite seemingly insurmountable odds and threats of imprisonment, many Iranians continue to risk everything to worship Christ. 

According to the Hudson Institute, “Gamaan, a secular Netherlands-based research group, reported [in 2020] that there are far greater numbers of Christian believers in Iran than ever before, more than a million.” And that estimate is likely quite conservative. The true number of Christ followers is plausibly higher but difficult to know for certain due to the secretive lives Christian converts must maintain. 

By Lynn Arias