Members of recognized religious minorities are subjected to other severe limitations and
restrictions on the freedom of religion and belief, especially if converting from Islam, which
amounts to apostasy and remains punishable by law.
Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran are reportedly subjected to limitations on their freedom
of religion and various forms of religious discrimination.13 This is said to be particularly true of
Protestant Christians, most of whom are newly converted. Reports have shown that Christians
were regularly being arrested on the charges of “Christian activity” or “acting against national
security through propaganda against the regime”. 14
Baha’is have faced a range of charges for manifesting their faith, including “collusion and
assembly against national security” and “formation and management of an illegal Baha’i group
with intent to disturb national security”. 15 There are reports of members of the Baha’i faith
having their houses searched by security forces and being subjected to arbitrary arrests. 16
Muslim Gonabadi Dervishes – a Sufi order long subject to state persecution - have faced an
intense crackdown which commenced with the violent dispersal of a peaceful protest in February
2018 over restrictions placed by the government on the community’s spiritual leader.17 One
Gonabadi, Mohammad Salas Babajani, was hastily tried and executed on vague evidence in June
2018 for bus ramming attack which resulted in the death and injury of riot officers.18 Hundreds
of Gonabadis were arrested and over 200 sentenced to lengthy prison terms, flogging and other
punishments. Dozens remained imprisoned on charges including “gathering and colluding to
commit crimes against national security”. 19
There are similar reports of individuals being arrested on charges of promoting mystical
practices, like Sufism. In early 2018, Karim Zargar, former head of the School of Radio and
Television in Iran, was executed on charges of promoting a novel mystical sect.20
13
Iran: Christian converts and house churches–prevalence and conditions for religious practice, Landinfo: https://landinfo.no/wpcontent/uploads/2018/04/Iran-Christian-converts-and-house-churches-1-prevalence-and-conditions-for-religious-practice.pdf
14 The first time Fatemeh Mohammadi was arrested was on November 18, 2017, she was released after completing her sentence
on April 7th, 2018. The second time was on July 9th, 2019 on charges of “membership in proselytizing groups,” “Christian
activity,” and “acting against national security through propaganda against the regime”, and the third time on January 12, 2020 on
charges of “disturbing public order through attending an unlawful protest” as reported by Human Rights Activists News Agency,
https://www.en-hrana.org/a-report-on-fatemeh-mary-mohammadi
15 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 28 January 2020,
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/021/53/PDF/G2002153.pdf?OpenElement
16 https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/iran/the_bahais_of_iran_-_a_persecuted_community.pdf
17 See Abdorrahman Borumand Center’s May 2018 newsletter, https://www.iranrights.org/newsletter/issue/89
18 Babajani was convicted in part on the basis of indistinct footage of the collision in which the driver was not visible, and an
interview of him bloodied and bandaged were broadcast on state television shortly after the protest crackdown. One Person’s
Story: Mohammad Salas Babajani, https://www.iranrights.org/memorial/story/-8267/mohammadreza-salas-babajani
19 Amnesty International , https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1318292020ENGLISH.PDF
20 HRANA: https://www.en-hrana.org/karim-zarger-executed-rajai-shahr-prison?hilite=%27sufi%27; One Person’s Story: Karim
Zargar https://www.iranrights.org/memorial/story/-8071/karim-zargar
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