Iranian authorities.9 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”.10
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.11
Charges include “breaching national security” or “propaganda against the holy regime of the
Islamic Republic of Iran”.12
The Baha’i faith, with members numbering an estimated 350,00013 in Iran, is not recognized
under Iranian law and does not have any official place of worship. Since August 2005, more
than 1,253 Baha’ís have been arrested in Iran solely on the basis of their religious beliefs.14
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.
Article 14 of the Constitution sets out that the government and Muslims in Iran are “dutybound to treat non-Muslims in conformity with ethical norms and the principles of Islamic
justice and equity, and to respect their citizen rights”. Articles 23 to 27 of the Constitution
provide for freedom of expression, assembly and association as well as the freedom to
practice ones’ religion. However, this duty applies only to those “who refrain from engaging
in conspiracy or activity against Islam and the Islamic Republic of Iran”, a charge that is
regularly held against certain religious minorities. Additionally, under Article 2 of the Law on
Political Crimes, adopted in 2016, participation in an unauthorised assembly, even if it is
peaceful, can effectively be considered a political offence.15 Participating in peaceful
unauthorised assemblies are often charged and sentenced to prison terms under Article 610 of
the Islamic Penal Code.16
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
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
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
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 July
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/222/62/PDF/N1922262.pdf?OpenElement
14
Baha’i International Community, https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/iran/the_bahais_of_iran__a_persecuted_community.pdf
15
The 2016 Law on Political Crimes, available at: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/968421
16
“When two or more individuals collude and conspire to commit crimes against the national or foreign security of the
country or prepare the facilities to commit the aforementioned crimes, unless they are regarded as mohareb, shall be
sentenced to two to five years’ imprisonment.” The Islamic Penal Code (2013), English translation, Iran Human Rights
Documentation Center, https://iranhrdc.org/islamic-penal-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-book-five/, and available in
Farsi at http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/print_version/845048
2