The persecution of Christians in Iran has reached a new level. Two Iranian men – Mehdi Rahimi, 49, and Kia Nourinia, 55, have each been sentenced to 12-year in prison simply for possessing Bibles.
The pair, who had converted to Christianity, were tried by an Islamic Revolutionary Court without any right to defend themselves. In addition to their prison sentences, the court imposed heavy fines and withdrew the social rights of the defendants for 15 years.
The court claimed the men were guilty of “promoting deviant beliefs” and “smuggling prohibited goods”. Those so-called “goods” were actually Bibles and Christian literature.
The defendants were ordered to pay a fine of approximately more than £850 and repay ten times the estimated value of the confiscated books. The police raid that sparked the case took place in November 2024, when agents entered their homes and seized Christian materials. The only “evidence” presented was a report from the Ministry of Intelligence and the seized books themselves.
By the time the trial took place, both men had already fled Iran to escape the country. Even so, the court went ahead and confirmed the sentences – without them present, without defence, and without any genuine legal process.
Converting from Islam to Christianity in Iran is treated as a threat to national security. Those who do so often face:
Missionary work is completely banned. Churches are forced to operate in secret. Even giving someone a Bible is classed as “smuggling”.
On paper, Iran’s constitution recognises Christianity, but only for certain ethnic groups such as Armenians and Assyrians. Even these communities face heavy restrictions: they cannot hold services in Persian, they are under constant state surveillance, and they are forbidden to share their faith with Muslims.
Any attempt to evangelise among ethnic Persians can lead to arrest, harassment, and imprisonment.
Despite the risks, Christianity in Iran is growing. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, there were only about 500 known converts in Iran. Today, there are over 1 million, with thousands more turning to Christ every day.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by these issues, you can reach out to us for spiritual support via our 24-hour helpline on 020 7686 6000, or send us a WhatsApp message on 020 7686 6010.
Sources:
https://articleeighteen.com/news/16114/
https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/iran/
https://operationworld.org/locations/iran/
