UN demands explanations from Iran over historic church confiscation

United Nations human rights experts have formally requested explanations from the Iranian government regarding the confiscation of St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran. The property, which is considered the oldest functioning Protestant church in the country, includes residential areas, schools, and offices.

The seizure resulted in the forced eviction of approximately 20 families from the Assyrian and Armenian Christian communities who had resided on the 10-acre site for decades. UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato and Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Nazila Ghanea expressed concern that this action is not an isolated incident but rather the culmination of decades of measures against Christian communities, particularly those practicing in the Persian language.

The confiscation is based on a 1998 Revolutionary Court decision that transferred the property to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), an organization linked to the office of Iran's Supreme Leader. Experts questioned the legality of the closure and noted that bureaucratic obstacles have prevented the legal registration of the Synod of Evangelical Churches of Iran since 1980, hindering effective judicial challenges.