Pope Leo XIV has called on the world to stand with persecuted Christians after five Iranian converts were jailed for more than eight years.
In June 2024, Hesameddin Mohammad Junaidi, Abolfazl Ahmadzadeh Khajani, Morteza Faghanpour Sasi, and two other unnamed men were arrested in Iran over charges connected to their Christian faith.
According to Middle Eastern outlets, the five men were charged with participating in Christian training courses, attending house-church meetings and “propaganda activities contrary to the Islamic law”.
One of the men was also handed an additional charge of “insulting the leadership” of Iran.
Pope Leo XIV has called on the world to stand with persecuted Christians after five Iranian converts were jailed
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GETTY
Despite being initially released on bail, an Iranian court upheld prison sentences against the Christian converts last month, who now face almost a decade behind bars.
The five men launched appeals against their lengthy prison sentences, but the appeals were subsequently rejected.
In the Islamic theocratic state, it is prohibited for Muslims to convert to Christianity and those found guilty of doing so are subject to lengthy prison sentences and lashings.
Iranian authorities have also banned the Bible in the country’s national language of Farsi.
It is prohibited for Muslims to convert to Christianity in Iran
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GETTYJust weeks after the men were jailed, Pope Leo XIV called for a renewed effort to protect freedom of religion and for the world to stand with persecuted Christians.
Addressing a private audience of representatives from the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International group, the Pope said: “Your visit is timely, for our world continues to witness rising hostility and violence against those who hold different convictions, including many Christians.
“In contrast, your mission proclaims that, as one family in Christ, we do not abandon our persecuted brothers and sisters.
“Rather, we remember them, we stand with them, and we labour to secure their God-given freedoms.
CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION – READ MORE
The pontiff noted that freedom of religion “is not optional, but essential” and “a cornerstone of any just society, for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be formed and exercised.”
Pope Leo XIV added: “Religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments, it is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible.”
Weeks before the five men were sentenced, Iranian Christian Mehram Shamloui, 37, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison on charges relating to his faith.
Secular Dutch research group Gamaan estimates that the number of Christians in Iran has reached its highest level ever, with around one million believed to be living in the predominantly Muslim country.
Secular Dutch research group Gamaan estimates that the number of Christians in Iran has reached its highest level ever
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GETTY
A US State Department report on religious freedom in Iran underline that “there is frequent discrimination and violence against Iran’s Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians”.
The review read: “During his tenure, it has been reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the end to Christianity’s expansion within the country.
“This has forced many Christian churches into hiding and forced various elements of their religious practice underground.
“Christians also suffer from official government bans on conversion from Islam (apostasy), which can result in a death sentence.”
