Iranian Supreme Court rules that house churches are not 'enemies' of the state
For the court, meeting at home and praying does not make the faithful, even converts, a "threat" to the Islamic Republic. The decision could lead to a review of adjudicated cases. Advocacy groups and activists welcome the ruling, but some call for caution since the Iranian government has not always followed its own rules.
Tehran (AsiaNews) – Iran’s Supreme Court issued an historic ruling last month whereby membership in a house church and gathering to pray, especially among Protestants, does not make Christians “enemies of the state”.
The decision follows the conviction of nine converts who were sentenced to five years in prison for participating in private services.
Currently, some 20 Christians are being detained on national security grounds; since 2012 more than a hundred people have been jailed on similar charges.
The Christians in question belong to an evangelical church in Rasht, north-east of Tehran, on the Caspian Sea. They were arrested two years ago for converting and “acting against national security”.
The police broke into their homes and the house used as a place of worship, confiscating various objects and personal belongings.
The Supreme Court ruling was handed down on 3 November but became widely reported in the past few days.
"Merely preaching Christianity, and promoting the 'Evangelical Zionist sect', both of which apparently means propagating Christianity through family gatherings (house-churches) is not a manifestation of gathering and collusion to disrupt the security of the country, whether internally or externally," the Supreme Court said.
The ruling went on to state that forming house churches was not a breach of Articles 498 and 499 of the Islamic Penal Code, which relates to so-called anti-state groups.
For Open Doors, the court’s decision is “significant” because the two articles were often used to convict Christians and lock them up in the country's prisons for solely professing their faith and gathering to pray.
Open Doors partner and Article 18 advocacy director, Mansour Borji, said that the decision could become a landmark and positively influence future cases against Persian-speaking Iranian Christians.
The ruling could pave the way for the release of the nine Christians previously convicted, following a review of their trial.
It might also give thousands of others across Iran hope to practice their religion “without fear of imprisonment.”
A final step in guaranteeing religious freedom would be to provide “a specific place of worship” in accordance with Iran’s constitution.
However, despite some optimism, others call for caution, warning not to attribute too much weight on a single ruling, even if it comes from the Supreme Court.
Past cases might be back in courtrooms, where revolutionary judges will have to review the decisions. Not all of them will follow the Supreme Court ruling.
“The Iranian government has a history of not following its own rules,” said Hormoz Shariat, president of Iran Alive Ministries.
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15/06/2022 11:36
