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Islamic Republic of Iran sentences converts from Islam to Christianity to long prison terms

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This could have been worse.

Shi’ite Islam, like Sunni Islam, prescribes the death penalty for apostasy:

Shaykh al-Kulayni narrates a sahíh (correct) hadith from `Ammãr as-Sãbãti who said: I heard (Imam) Abu `Abdullãh (as-Sãdiq) (a.s.) saying, “A Muslim from among the Muslims who renounces Islam and rejects the prophethood of Muhammad and considers him untrue, then verily his blood is lawful (mubãh) for anyone who hears that from him, his wife is to be separated from him the day he became murtad [apostate], his wealth will be divided among his heirs, and his wife will observe the `idda of a widow (i.e., four months). The Imam is obliged to kill him, and not ask him to seek forgiveness.” (Furu al-Kãfi, vol. 7, p. 257)

The Islamic Republic of Iran might not carry out this sentence in the absence of the Imam, but they’re not likely to be lenient and kind to the converts, either.

“Five Iranian Christian converts sentenced to stiff prison terms,” Iran International, December 17, 2025 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

A seriously ill Iranian Christian convert who broke her spine in Evin Prison is among five Christians handed combined prison terms totaling more than 50 years, a rights group said.

The national security offenses for which they were convicted involve house-church worship and Christian activity online, according to UK-based rights groups Article 18.

House-church leader Joseph Shahbazian, his wife Lida, Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, another woman whose name has not been disclosed and Aida Najaflou were sentenced, it added.

All except Lida Shahbazian, who received 8 years, were sentenced to 10 years; at least two, including Najaflou, received an additional 5 years for “gathering and collusion.”

Aida Najaflou, 44, fell from her top bunk in the early hours of October 31, fracturing her T12 vertebra. She was taken to Taleghani Hospital for an X-ray but returned to prison the same day on a stretcher, still in severe pain and without the surgery doctors recommended….

“The trial bore many hallmarks of a lack of due process: lengthy pre-trial detention, heavy bail demands, and the use of vague security-related articles to criminalize religious practice,” Article18 director Mansour Borji told Christian Daily International.

“Case files describe the distribution of Bibles and Christian texts, and efforts to share theology with others, as evidence justifying the sentences,” he added.

Under Iranian law, only ethnic Armenians and Assyrians born into Christianity are recognized as Christians; conversion from Islam is prohibited.

Comments

  1. Previously, they used to murder them. Now it’s only jail time

    See, they’re becoming moderates 😈

  2. There is a spiritual revolution going on in Iran as muslims are converting to Christianity in their hundreds of thousands. I’m not surprised by this because Zoroastrianism (their previous religion before islam) shared significant similarities with Christianity. Even the three wise men who visited baby Jesus were actually Zoroastrian priests.

      • The survey isn’t going to reveal the true figures of Iranians that are converting to Christianity, because the movement is underground.

        • While true, this organization did reveal the methodology that they used, including an unusually large sample size, that makes it more likely accurate

      • Incorrect. Christians have a much larger understanding of ground movement.

        We should pray the pope can just put in a couple good words for Iranian Christians and Muslims under oppression (this would make it easier for him as it is politically correct) as he does to his Palestinian master, Hamas and ISIS.

  3. The reason that the Muslims clerics, the ayatollahs and mullahs, in power in Iran are very ready and will to do everything they are able to do ,through those thugs in uniform who are Iran’s Islamic state police, who call themselves the “the Revolutionary Guards , to engage in sever brutal and cruel persecution against Christians and burn their Bibles is because those ruling Muslims clerics are afraid that if the Iranian people start to read the Bible and discover that when the Bible and the Quran are compared and contrasted find that the Bible is the superior of those two books.

    Therefore , those Ayatollahs and mullahs might then start to loses much of their power because that that Islamic “Republic “ of Iran has the Quran with its Sharia as the entire foundation of their regime.

    So they , to uphold their power, will everything they can to keep the Iranian people in ignorance of the Bible and away from the light the Bible and keep them in the darkness of Islam.

    In in consequence, in time , the result will be sorrow upon those ayatollahs sand mullahs. For the Bible reveals “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” Isaiah 5:20. [N.K.J.V.]

    About those Imams and mullahs of Iran, such false teachers are described in the Bible, in Second Peter 2:1,2 “There were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction and many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”

    Those same Muslims clerics also tell the Iranian people many awful terrible things that aren’t true about Christians and Christianity , likewise they speak many negative and false things about the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This is a reflection of the prediction of such lying falsehood speakers written about in the Bible , which informs its reader about men who “Speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption.” Second Peter 2:12.

  4. The way for a person to discover the truth concerning the nature of Jesus is found in the Bible verse Isaiah 8:20. This instructs “To the law of the testimony. If they do not speak according to the word, it is because there is no light in them.” [N.K.J.V.]

    In other words, if a religious teacher has teaching that are in contradiction to the Word, the Bible, then that teachers is a false teacher who teaches false doctrines. The Muslim clerics, as the ayatollahs and mullahs, of Iran teach and speak false doctrines from the Qu ‘ran .

    As the Quran in 112 teaches “He is God alone: God is the eternal begetteth not…” Likewise, this religious book which is the entire foundation of and for Islam further teaches in 19:35. “It is not befitting to God that He should beget a son.” In great contrast the Bible teaches in John 1:14. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory , the glory of the only begotten of the Father ,full of grace and truth.” Likewise John 3:16 teaches “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… Then just a little further in verse 18 it is written about Jesus Who is “the only begotten Son of God. “ Other places in the Bible further teach that Jesus is the Son of God as in Matthew 16:15:16. Luke 1:35. John 3:36. First John 4:14. 15. 5:14,15.

    Moreover, to be even more clear the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, Who is God the Father. As found in Matthew 3:16,17. First John 2:22,23. 4:14,15. Of course , it ,very much, needs to made even more specific . The Bible teaches that Jesus is also God the Son. As seen in Hebrew 1:8 and First John 5:20.

    The imams and mullahs as well as the other apologists for Islam will try to “explain” this all away. As in they will try brush off all those Bible verse off by making the claim that the Bible had been corrupted, through time, by Christians and that’s why the Bible reads as it does. That claim they make actually underestimate the Power of God to protect and keep His Word safe and intact ,through time, and away from the corruption of men.

    In conclusion ,with the above instruction of the way to find doctrinal truth in Isaiah 8:20 and in the light of the Bible verse provided it may be clearly seen, by all those who are willing to see, that Islam is in terrible doctrinal error and it is therefore a false religion, Proverbs 14:12. John 14:6.

  5. Islamic Republic of Iran sentences converts from Islam to Christianity to long prison terms
    ………………………………………………..

    These *poor Christians*. God, I hate Islam.

    • Iranian Christians are secretly disowned by the popes in a secret deal with the Islamic rulers.

      He can support you if your situation is a little easier, such as Lebanon. He will play along in Palestine and pretend Muslims and christians are best buddy, and it is an easy excuse to bow to Muslims at the expense of christians.

      Will never use any effort to help Christians one bit in Iran. My sister-in-law and whole family disagree with the pope, because they disappeared in one night and were never seen again. Mosul. So when he supports Muslims in Gaza, you do not understand the pain in our hearts. We want to be loved too like the christians in the west love Muslims in Gaza. But nobody loves us.

      • Basha, what secret deal between the Popes and Iran’s rulers? Citations, please.

        Then, the idea that the popes murdered your sister-in-law and her family because they disagreed with him is grotesque. And Mosul is not in Iran, but in neighboring Iraq.

        I am very sorry about your sister-in-law and her family if this happened–certainly, many Christians in Iraq have been targeted by Muslims there.

        I am sickened that the current Pope–and so many other Christian leaders–are doing so little for Christians in danger from Jihad terror–including in Iran. But the rest of this is conspiracy theories.

        I care about–and love–imperiled Christians, and so do most others here. The West ignoring or appeasing Islam is appalling, but that does not mean that the pope is himself murdering Christians. We speak out against what is actually happening. Christians in Dar-al-Islam are in direct danger from Jihad terror.

        • Iraq and Iran are like Canada and USA. Your family can be across borders on two three sides.

          You don’t know. Iraq was Christian and the Muslims came much later. So many christians were still there while Islam was ruling Iraq.

          After USA troops left, ISLAMIC terrorist gangs came into Christian towns, they are worse than Khomeni. Many people were killed, and tortured for ransoms. Some had no ransom, so they were probably tortured to death.

          Your pope only supports terrorism. The pope was a supporter of the Iran terrorist nuclear program and he pushed for lifting alls sanctions of Iran.

          The Arrangement: The Vatican rarely criticizes Iran’s human rights record or its treatment of religious minorities in public.

          Why does everyone want to fight us and side with the islamic side. You with them?

        • Actually, Mosul is closer to Syria and Turkey than it is to Iran. And you still do not say how the pope killed your family there.

          And of course I know that Mesopotamia (current Iraq) was not Islamic before the Muslim invasion–it was primarily Zoroastrian and Christian, along with some smaller faiths.

          And I sadly know that as bad as Saddam Hussein was, that things were even worse for Christians afterwards. I have said this here many times–why are you claiming I have not?

          And you appear to believe that there has only been one pope since the Islamic revolution in Iran, and that all Western Christians are Catholic and agree with the pope on everything. All of these are mistaken.

          And where is that “secret deal”? And what pope supported Iran getting nukes?

          None of my points here mean I am fighting with you, and I am a staunch anti-Jihadist.

          You just often get further if you have your facts straight. It is *certainly* true that many pontiffs, including the current one, Pope Leo, is doing *far* too little to support Christians at risk in Muslim lands–and he seems to believe that Islam is not a threat.

        • Pope supports the nuclear weapons for Iran. You don’t know because you are manipulated and think Iran wants peace. They want nuclear weapons and the pope is the fool they need to play along and pretend they want a peace nuclear program.

          Moral Pressure on the U.S.
          The Papacy has frequently criticized the U.S. for withdrawing from the nuclear deal (under the Trump administration). 
          • Direct Appeals: Pope Francis has called the lapse of the nuclear agreement an “impasse” that endangers the future. By placing the blame on the breakdown of negotiations, the Vatican aligns itself with the Iranian position that the deal should be restored and sanctions should be removed.

        • I have *never* said that Iran wants peace–I have said just the opposite many times here. Why do you keep lying about me?

          And while–as I have said–I an *no* fan of the current pope–where has he *ever* said that he supports a nuclear Iran? Citations, please.

          Then, Pope Francis is not the current Pope. The current Pope is Pope Leo XIV.

          Yes, thinking that Iran would adhere to any nuclear deal is deeply naive, and Popes Francis and Leo have both called for easing sanctions against Iran. But this, as foolish as it is, is not the same as supporting Iran developing nukes, which I have never seen any pontiff do. Again, please provide citations.

        • You are still playing a pro Iran game in my eyes. But ok, I will take your word.

          Let’s see how you get around these facts and how your popes are Muslim agents.

          1. The IAEA has said definitively that Iran is violating its supposed “peaceful program” and is developing weapons uranium!

          2. So is you pope so stupid to ignore this? And he still says ohhhhhh, the Iranians only want peace so we should take all the sanctions away. They are not dumb! We all know, Israel knows, the pope knows!

          3. The pope supports this nuclear weapons program, because he should know what the IAEA says, but he is playing along with their MUSLIM games, he pretends it is peaceful.

          Citations

          – Avoiding War: The Vatican’s primary motivation was to prevent a military conflict. Pope Francis and Vatican diplomats argued that the deal was the only way to ensure Iran’s program remained peaceful without resorting to a devastating war in the Middle East.

          When the United States withdrew from the deal the Trump administration, the Vatican expressed deep concern, with Pope Francis calling for the restoration of the agreement to ensure “a more secure future.”

          4. So do you see now? How can you support this position? THERE IS NO PEACE in their nuclear program. Only the pro Iran side pretends it’s peaceful… we all know. But the Vatican says, take the sanctions away, and don’t touch Iran or its program.

          5. I don’t want to be against you, but please wake up, this is a ISLAMIC VATICAN! They want no limit Islamic migration to Europe! Why? Why are they supporting Islamic terrorist Gaza? Why are they playing a game in Nigeria and they tell us Muslims are the victims and the genocide is fake?

          What do you expect Middle East christians to do?

        • The claim that my opposing everything about the Mullahs means that I am “playing a pro Iran game in [your] eyes” is just bizarre. Cite anything I have ever said in support of them and their savagery.

          I have also cited many times that Iran is violating IAEA guidelines. Show where I have not.

          But yes–many leaders in the West, including religious leaders, don’t *want* to know what a threat Islam is. This is also true of many ordinary people here–not just ignorance, but *willful ignorance*.

          And yes–this also includes believing that nuclear deals with Iran are honest on their part.

          The Vatican and most recent popes have engaged in this appeasement–all save Pope Benedict.

          And many fools think that all migrants are just needy refugees. This is *very* common.

          This is *very* dangerous to us. But pretending that the Pope is murdering his critics in Islamic countries is false and bizarre–and in *no way* helps Christians in the Middle East. Those targeting Christians and other Infidels in Dar-al-Islam are Muslims. Apologists are sadly enabling them.

        • So since you agree the pope knows Iran is making nukes and supports it by pretending it is peaceful, and wants all their sanctions lifted. Let’s move on.

          The pattern is simple. Where there is a Muslim to support, or boost their Islamist power, or bring them into other countries to islamize them, the pope and Vatican is a supporter.

          They work with these same Islamists. I don’t expect you to know, but the people know who live there. They know the church is part of the Islamist state security. They want us to die away slowly in the Middle East, and be suppressed by Iran and others.

          How much of a stretch is it that the Vatican is making deals behind doors with Iranian and other Muslim leadership? It is not. They will never criticize Iran for its christians, because there is a deal. They use vague terms at best and never mention Christians in Iran and their plight.

          They have a deal brother. The church is an anti Israel organization as well, the only humane democracy, they are of course against it, but cowardly to complain Iran? Complain about Israel every day and make up fake stories? Tell your pope to make a fake story about Iran and Saudi Arabia! Let me see it! He will not because he is a traitor coward who sold our christians to disappear.

        • Saying that I “agree the pope knows Iran is making nukes and supports it” is ludicrous, I said that the current and previous Pope–and *many* leaders around the world–are in willful ignorance about nuclear deals with Iran *not* being honest. Why do you continually lie about me?

          As for immigration, the pope seems to believe–again, like too many other leaders–that Muslims flooding in are all just needly refugees. I know a lot of people like this myself. They scoff at the idea that the West can be Islamized, or even that this is the goal of any more than a tiny handful of Muslims. They think they are all fleeing Islamic countries, and that they have no interest in bringing it here–either that, or that Islam is just like Christianity. More willful naivite, but again very widespread. A lot of people do not *want* to know how barbaric Islam is.

          And while I have heard–for good reason–many Christians from Muslim lands and Christians who are apostates from Islam lament that the Pope and other Christian leaders are not more knowledgeable about the danger they are in, the idea that they are *themselves* mass murdering Christians in Muslim countries is just false.

          The claim that “the church is part of the Islamist state security” and that “they want us to die away slowly in the Middle East, and be suppressed by Iran and others” is bizarre. Muslim states would never allow foreign Christians as part of state security, and why would Christians *actively seek* Christianity dying out in much of the world? This makes no sense, and the claim that all Christians believe this is just bizarre.

          And you keep saying that the Vatican has “secrete deals” with genocidal Islamic states, but never back this outrageous claim with anything.

          And, again, Pope Leo is *not* my pope, I am not Catholic, and if I was I would not approve of his suicidal policies, on Christians in danger or on democratic Israel.

          Abd why would the pope have to “make a fake story about Iran and Saudi Arabia”? These Muslim hell holes are horrific enough in reality. No one has any need to rely on anything but the truth about them.

        • You don’t know, but you are protecting Iran. And you are really bending into a pretzel to protect the Vatican.

          The Vatican was against Israel’s same nuclear program, and their Catholic plant was the Ma who snitched out Israel. This is not on principle because they will bend into pretzels for Iran to save its same nuclear program.

          I am sorry but this conversation has to end because I don’t feel good about this, these people are destroying the west. I don’t back any of them.

          If you look deeper you will understand. Israel is in western civilization and the Vatican has always been trying to destroy it from behind the scenes. And now it is in the open they want to destroy Europe.

          Go wash the Muslims feet with the pope.

        • The claim that my opposing everything about Iran means that I am protecting it makes no sense.

          And I am not protecting the Vatican in noting that they do not have death squads whacking Christians in Muslim countries for Muslim governments–just noting that this makes no sense.

          And *of course* Israel is a Western civilization–I have noted this many times. Why would you imply that I disagree? More dishonesty.

          And I have also criticized the former pope foolishly washing the feet of Muslims–again, why are you implying that I support this?

          And I never said that you have to reply to me if my points make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to reply to any poster here if you would prefer not to.

      • No this is not conspiracy theories. The Catholic Church works as a snitch within Iran to snitch out converts and Christian people who are doing what mullahs don’t like.

        If you are a Muslim and become interested in Catholicism, you are slowly falling into deep trap… you will be sold to the regime after they find your friends and everybody.

        If you are Muslims and want the a Christian, do not go Catholic because they work with Iran and other Muslims, but some other sect churches are safe.

        I only spoke about this because the article is about this.

        Critics, including organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) and the Hudson Institute, argue that the Vatican accepts this status quo to keep its “foot in the door.”
        • Institutional Survival: The Vatican maintains an embassy (Nunciature) in Tehran. Critics say that to keep this embassy open, the Vatican agrees not to support or recognize the underground “house church” movement.

        I apologize I was very angry.

        • Despite my problem with most modern popes doing little to support threatened Christians, I have *never* heard even the harshest critics say that the Vatican is selling out Christin apostates to the Mullahs. Again I ask for citations–no doubt in vain at this point.

          And no–this article *does not* make such a claim.

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