Seven Armenian-Iranian Christians were killed during Iran’s Islamic regime’s violent repression of ongoing protests in the country, according to Open Doors, an international organization that monitors religious persecution. According to the organization, the deaths occurred in actions by security forces against protesters, and at least three other Christians were injured.
According to Portas Abertas, one of the victims was publicly identified as Ejmin Masihi. The organization also states that at least one Christian of Muslim origin is among the thousands of people detained in mass arrests carried out in different regions of the country.
According to the organization, Christian converts from Islam face harsher treatment from Iranian authorities, as conversion is considered treason against the official religion of the Iranian state, Islam. Furthermore, both officially recognized Christian communities – such as Armenians and Assyrians – and unrecognized groups have been affected by the instability and violence associated with the protests.
“The lives and freedoms of recognized Christian communities (Armenian-Iranian and Assyrian) as well as unrecognized ones (Christians of Muslim origin) are affected by the current instability in Iran. The true extent of the deaths is still uncertain, and the internet blackout has made verifying and updating information extremely difficult”, says Portas Abertas.
According to information released by the agency Reutersaround 5,000 people have already died as a result of the repression of ongoing demonstrations in Iran since the end of December, following the worsening of the economic crisis and the cost of living. The number was corroborated by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has been monitoring victims and arrests since the protests began.
HRANA also reported that tens of thousands of people have been arrested since the demonstrations began. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, blamed the deaths on the United States and called the ongoing protests a foreign conspiracy.
