As Iran’s Christian Persecution Escalates, ACLJ Takes Urgent Action at the U.N.

Iran’s brutality is on full display as more than 36,500 Iranians are feared dead, indiscriminately gunned down in the streets, as the regime wages war on its own citizens. As its people cry out for freedom, the Islamic Republic responds with bullets, prisons, and executions. No group is paying a heavier price than Christians.

We just took urgent action – mobilizing our global offices and filing a vital new submission to the U.N. Human Rights Council through our international affiliate with consultative status at the U.N., the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). We are pressing international leaders to apply maximum pressure to stop the persecution now, before it’s too late.

For years, Iran has treated Christianity not as a faith but as a security threat, particularly converts from Islam. According to our submission:

The reason the recent situation in Iran puts a bigger target on Christians is that the government already views Christians as a threat to national security. The government claims that Christians are under the influence of Western countries and are trying to destabilize the Iranian government. One Iranian shared that “the Iranian government is increasingly using the Christian minority as a scapegoat, accusing believers of inciting and leading these demonstrations.”

House churches are raided, Bibles confiscated, and believers subjected to prolonged interrogations. Pastors and church leaders are often sentenced to lengthy prison terms in facilities such as Tehran’s Evin Prison, where reports of abuse, isolation, and psychological torture are well documented.

Our team has documented:

In January 2026, at least ten Christians were arrested across three locations in Fars province. One Christian pastor shared that “[s]ecurity forces raided the homes of several believers, accusing us of providing ideological fuel for the street protests. Our people remain confined to their homes, yet the raids continue relentlessly.”

Iran is legally obligated under international law to protect the principle of freedom of religion. Both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – binding on Iran – guarantee the right to hold and openly practice religious beliefs, alone or with others, in public or private. Yet the regime’s repeated violations make it clear that these rights are not being respected.

History shows that sustained international scrutiny can restrain even the most repressive regimes. When abuses are documented, challenged, and brought before the global community, lives can be saved. Conversely, silence enables escalation.

Today’s submission demands that Iran take immediate action to reform its laws and practices so Christians can freely and openly practice their faith without fear of persecution.

Take action with the ACLJ and add your name to the petition: Stop the Slaughter and Torture of Christians in Iran.