Iran Arrests 53 Christians On Espionage Charges; Rights Groups Call It Persecution

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iran has detained dozens of Christians on charges of espionage and “anti-security activities” for Israel, drawing condemnation from rights groups who call the move part of a broader crackdown on the country’s tiny Christian minority.

The Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) said in a statement obtained by Worthy News on Monday that the arrests occurred during the recent “12-day war between Iran and the Zionist regime.”

MOIS, which uses the term “Zionist regime” to describe Israel, said that “53 members of the Zionist Christian evangelisation network were arrested across several provinces of the country.”

“These individuals, acting under the guidance of foreign intelligence services, were engaged in anti-security activities, spreading deviant teachings, and attempting to infiltrate sensitive areas of our nation,” the ministry added.

State-run broadcaster IRIB showed what it said were seized weapons, communication devices, Bibles, and “suspicious financial resources.” Officials claimed that some of the detainees had received training abroad before returning to Iran to continue “their destructive mission.”

However, Christian converts and advocacy groups strongly rejected the allegations, saying the charges were fabricated to justify religious persecution.

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Rights group Article18 said many of the arrested Christians merely gathered for worship or traveled abroad for church services unavailable in Iran. “These accusations are baseless and part of an ongoing campaign to suppress freedom of religion,” the group stressed.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) added that confessions broadcast on state TV were obtained under duress, calling them “forced and unreliable.”

At least 11 of the detainees have reportedly been released on bail, while more than 40 remain in detention. Church in Chains, an Irish advocacy group, said arrests took place in at least a dozen cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Shiraz.

Christian rights groups fear the latest wave of arrests reflects a broader government strategy to link Christian activity to foreign conspiracies amid heightened regional tensions in the strict Islamic Republic.

Iran ranks as one of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom, listed in the top ten on advocacy group Open Doors’ annual World Watch List of countries where it says Christians face the most persecution.

Dozens of house church leaders and Christian converts remain imprisoned under national security charges, with advocacy groups warning that simply practicing Christianity outside state-approved churches can lead to arrest, imprisonment, or torture, Worthy News documented.

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