Iranian Christian Convert Deported from Turkey, Arrested Upon Return to Iran
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Iranian Christian convert Mehran Shamlooei was arrested on July 3 upon arrival at Mashhad International Airport after being deported from Turkey, where he had sought refuge to avoid serving a harsh prison sentence handed down for his faith.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a source close to his family confirmed that Shamlooei was taken into custody immediately upon re-entering Iran. “He was arrested upon entering Iran at Mashhad Airport and taken to a local security facility,” the source said. “As he is facing a prison sentence, the on-duty judge has ordered his transfer to Tehran on Monday.”
Shamlooei was previously sentenced by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 10 years and 8 months in prison, a fine of 250 million tomans, and an 11-year ban on social rights. The charges included “propaganda against Islamic law” and “membership in groups opposing the state.” His trial was held on February 13, 2025, following an earlier interrogation in January at Branch 3 of the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office. The verdict was upheld in full by Branch 36 of the Tehran Court of Appeals on April 23, 2025.
The case stems from his November 1, 2024 arrest by agents of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence for establishing a house church in Tehran. He was detained in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, a facility operated by the Ministry, and was released on December 1, 2024, after posting bail.
Following the failed appeal, Shamlooei fled Iran in an attempt to reach Europe but was detained in Turkey for lacking proper documentation. Despite seeking safety, he was deported—part of a broader trend by Turkish authorities of expelling Christian believers.
“This is now a strategy that’s being used by the Turkish government to decrease the Christian influence and decrease Christian ministry in Turkey,” said Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs in an interview with Mission Network News.
Turkey has increasingly relied on mechanisms such as “N-82” security codes—classifying Christians as threats to national security—to block their residency or re-entry. These actions fall under Article 9 of the Turkish Alien Act, which grants authorities the power to expel or deny entry to individuals deemed security risks.
A 2024 report by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) noted that such expulsions “systematically target Christians, perceived as ‘threats’ because of their faith and missionary activities,” while pointing out that no equivalent measures have been taken against foreign Muslim missionaries.
Shamlooei now faces transfer to Tehran and incarceration under Iran’s repressive legal system, which continues to criminalize Christian activity outside the state-sanctioned churches. International human rights advocates are raising concerns not only about Iran’s ongoing persecution of Christians but also Turkey’s growing role in enabling it.
Despite centuries of persecution, the number of Iranian Christians has surged over the last 20 years, surpassing the growth seen in the previous 13 centuries since Islam arrived in Iran. From an estimated 500 in 1979, today, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of Iranians are embracing Christianity and acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In 2023, George Whitten, the founder of Worthy News, interviewed a leading house church pastor in Iran, inquiring about the rapid growth of the revival there. The pastor explained, “We do not baptize anyone unless they are willing to post their baptism on YouTube,” highlighting their commitment by adding, “We are all in for the gospel’s sake.”
In 2023, a senior Iranian cleric revealed that about 50,000 of Iran’s 75,000 mosques are closed, highlighting the rapid growth of Christianity and disillusionment with “the regime’s use of Islam to justify its authoritarian rule.”
In 2025, Open Doors lists Iran as the ninth worst country for Christian persecution, highlighting the severe risks and ongoing challenges Christians face there due to the Iranian regime’s control of the country.
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