UN experts have demanded that Iran explain the confiscation of the oldest Protestant church

UN experts have demanded an explanation from Iranian authorities regarding the confiscation of the country’s oldest Protestant church—St. Peter’s Evangelical Church in Tehran. This involves not only the church itself but also the surrounding area, which housed residential buildings, schools, and church offices. According to the special rapporteurs, this incident may be part of a long-standing campaign of pressure against the Christian community in Iran.

According to Christian Today, news of the confiscation of church property and the eviction of Christian residents came to light in July. The approximately 10-acre plot belonged to the Council of Evangelical Churches of Iran. The property housed residences, two schools, as well as the offices of the Bible Society and the council itself. As a result, about 20 families from Iran’s historic Assyrian and Armenian Christian communities were evicted.

According to the publication, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mai Sato, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ganea, sent an official communication to the Iranian authorities on July 10. The document was published later, in accordance with UN protocols—60 days after it was sent.

In the letter, the UN representatives expressed serious concern that this case, in their view, is not an isolated incident. They noted that this may represent the culmination of decades of measures targeting the Christian community in Iran, particularly those aimed at worship services conducted in the Persian language. The special rapporteurs also recalled other instances in which church property in the country had been confiscated, closed, demolished, or repurposed, though the authorities did not clarify whether the affected communities received any compensation or other legal protection.

As noted by Christian Today, there were previously about 50 Protestant churches in Iran that held services in Persian. Currently, according to the special rapporteurs’ assessment, virtually none of these churches remain: three Anglican churches in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz, which were permitted to conduct sermons in Persian, have been unable to resume operations following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the publication of the statement, the special rapporteurs stated that they had not received a response from the Iranian authorities to the questions they had raised. It is also reported that the grounds of St. Peter’s Church are currently under the guard of regime forces. UN representatives emphasized that forced evictions of this kind are incompatible with international human rights law, as they deprive a long-standing religious community not only of their homes but also of their place of worship.