their own home, frequently termed “house churches”,5 or in underground prayer halls (namaz
khane)6 which often get dismantled by Iranian authorities.7 House churches are often being
raided by the government on the basis that they do not hold necessary permits from the
authorities. Attendees are arrested and imprisoned on charges of “acting against national
security by organizing and conducting house-churches” or “propaganda against the state and
insulting the sacred Iranian establishment”.8 The end of 2018 and 2019 saw an unprecedented
wave of raids on private house gatherings related to religion or belief, leading to a large
number of arrests detention and imprisonment.9 Charges include “breaching national security”
or “propaganda against the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.10 Non-recognized
religious minorities face even more difficulties to manifest their religion or belief. There are only
5 religious temples for about 9568 inhabitants belonging to non-recognized religious
minorities all together (about one religious temple every 1914 individuals).11 Baha’is,
numbering an estimated 350,00012 in Iran, do not have any official place of worship. Since
August 2005, more than 1,253 Baha’ís have been arrested in Iran solely because of their
religious beliefs.13
The lack of places of worship and the regular dismantling of religious informal meetings
frustrate the rights of religious minorities to manifest a religion or belief. The threat of raids,
arrests, detention and imprisonment for those identified as belonging to certain religious
minorities disincentivizes community and public manifestation.
B. Freedom from coercion which would impar the freedom to have or to adopt a
religion or belief of his choice (Article 18.2)
Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees that all people enjoy equal rights, “whatever the
ethnic group or tribe to which they belong” and that “color, race, language, and the like, do
not bestow any privilege”.14 However, the Constitution omits an explicit provision
recognizing religion or belief as a protected characteristic. Article 20 of the constitution states
5
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from The World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, Middle East Concern, Article 18, 29 May 2020 , https://articleeighteen.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/F3430b-2020-JointReport_Iran_HRCttee_ListOfIssues-dragged-1.pdf
6
2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Iran, U.S. Department of State, https://www.state.gov/reports/2019report-on-international-religious-freedom/iran/
7
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from The World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, Middle East Concern, Article 18, 29 May 2020 , https://articleeighteen.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/F3430b-2020-JointReport_Iran_HRCttee_ListOfIssues-dragged-1.pdf
8
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from The World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, Middle East Concern, Article 18, 29 May 2020 , https://articleeighteen.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/F3430b-2020-JointReport_Iran_HRCttee_ListOfIssues-dragged-1.pdf
9
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from The World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, Middle East Concern, Article 18, 29 May 2020 , https://articleeighteen.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/F3430b-2020-JointReport_Iran_HRCttee_ListOfIssues-dragged-1.pdf
10
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
11
Non-Muslim Temples, Tehran Province Report, as of 2018.
12
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July 2019
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
13
Baha’i International Community, https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/iran/the_bahais_of_iran__a_persecuted_community.pdf
14
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation,
http://www.iranchamber.com/government/laws/constitution_ch03.php
2