Iran court upholds convictions of Christians for home prayers
The Tehran Court of Appeal upheld the sentences of believers accused of "propaganda against Islamic laws".
On October 1, 2025, the Tehran Court of Appeals upheld the sentences of five newly converted Christians convicted on charges of "propaganda against Islamic laws". This was reported by Article18.
Earlier, on September 26, it became known that the believers were sentenced in July by the Revolutionary Court of the city of Varamin. The Christians were each sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for “propaganda activity contrary to Islamic law due to overseas connections” and seven months for “propaganda against the system”.
As noted, the convicted were arrested at their homes and workplaces in the cities of Varamin and Pishva, near Tehran, in June 2024. They are accused of holding home prayer meetings and participating in online meetings with other Christians.
According to the source, the prisoners were subjected to pressure and torture, demanding they renounce the Christian faith. After several months of being detained in the Evin prison, they were released on bail of up to $30,000, but in July the court issued guilty verdicts.
One of the convicted received an additional sentence for allegedly insulting Iran’s Supreme Leader on social media.
All five Christians must appear at a civil court next week to face separate charges of “insulting Islamic sanctities” – for having been present during a Zoom meeting in which a Christian leader living outside Iran is alleged to have said something that was considered to be critical of Islamic beliefs.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Uganda, a Muslim schoolboy killed his brother for converting to Christianity.
