Iranian Christian Convert Mary Mohammadi Disappears After Detention (Worthy News Investigation)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Concerns are growing over the fate of Iranian Christian convert, journalist, and human rights defender Mary Mohammadi after reports emerged that she disappeared following an apparent detention by Iranian authorities.

Well-informed advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC) confirmed to Worthy News on Monday that Christians have been urged to pray for Mohammadi after human rights organization Amnesty International reported her enforced disappearance since late February.

According to Amnesty International, Mohammadi remained in contact with her family after traveling from Tehran to the southwestern city of Ahvaz until around February 26, when communications abruptly ceased.

Amnesty International said Iranian authorities have refused to disclose her whereabouts. Sources cited by the rights group said Mohammadi was initially held in Ahvaz before being transferred on April 2 to an undisclosed location.

The reported disappearance has renewed concerns about the treatment of religious converts, activists, and government critics in the Islamic Republic.

PREVIOUS ARRESTS

MEC noted that Mohammadi has faced repeated arrests since converting from Islam to Christianity.

“Mary was arrested for the first time at the age of 19 after converting from Islam to Christianity at a house church meeting,” MEC recalled. She was imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison from November 2017 until May 2018.

Mohammadi was arrested again in January 2020 and later released on bail. In April of that year, she was sentenced to three months in prison and 10 lashes for participating in protests following the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, the passenger aircraft mistakenly shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in January 2020.

Rights advocates have long viewed her as one of the most outspoken young Christian converts in Iran, frequently drawing attention to religious persecution, prison conditions, and broader human rights concerns.

Her activism has earned international recognition.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

In April 2023, Mohammadi received the St. Stephen’s Award for Persecuted Christians during a ceremony in Bonn, Germany, in recognition of what organizers described as her “outstanding courage” and “extraordinary selflessness.”

The latest reports come amid continuing international criticism of Iran’s human rights record and its treatment of religious minorities, including Christians who have converted from Islam.

Iranian authorities regard conversion from Islam with deep suspicion, and house churches have frequently been targeted by security forces despite constitutional provisions recognizing some historic Christian communities.

Advocacy groups say converts often face surveillance, interrogations, arrests, and lengthy prison sentences on charges linked to national security.

While officials have not publicly commented on Mohammadi’s reported disappearance, rights advocates say the refusal to disclose her location has heightened fears for her safety and well-being.

CALLS FOR PRAYER

MEC urged Christians worldwide to pray that Mohammadi’s whereabouts and circumstances will become known and that she and her family will receive strength and encouragement during the ordeal.

The group also called for prayers that human rights will one day be respected and protected throughout Iran.

Mohammadi’s disappearance comes amid continuing tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The regional confrontation has affected Iran’s Christian community, including believers imprisoned during recent military exchanges and bombardments, Worthy News has established.

However, it was not immediately clear whether the regional conflict played a direct role in Mohammadi’s reported disappearance, which comes amid a broader crackdown by authorities on dissent and perceived opposition.

Estimates suggest that between 500,000 and 1 million Iranian Christians currently live in Iran, although some church leaders believe the actual number may be significantly higher.

Iran ranks ninth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.

The watchdog says Christians, particularly converts from Islam, face intense pressure from authorities, including surveillance, arrests, imprisonment, and harassment, because conversion is viewed as a threat to the country’s Islamic system of governance.

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