Prison sentences given to Christians in Iran in 2024 were six times harsher than in the previous year, and over four times as many were arrested last year than in 2023, a new report has revealed.
The shocking new statistics were revealed in ‘The Tip of the Iceberg’, a report co-released by Article 18, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Middle East Concern.
The study found that 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years in jail last year, compared to 43½ years given to 22 believers in 2023. Notably, five Christians received 10-year prison sentences, while another was given 15 years. The large increase is owed partly to a backlog in the court system caused by a growing persecution towards Christians, largely through false financial allegations of foreign funding and forced confiscation of property.
