Iran accuses 53 Christians of espionage, claims Bibles smuggled into country
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran accuses 53 Christians of espionage, claims Bibles smuggled into country")
Iranians drive next to a billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: " Science is the power", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Iran has arrested 53 Christians on charges of espionage, claiming Bibles were smuggled into the country. Human rights groups condemn the crackdown as persecution of religious minorities.
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence accused 53 Christians of espionage and 'anti-security activities'. Iranian state media showed a video of the detainees with the Christian literature, specifically the Bible, the New Testament, which they have smuggled inside the country. The Bible is effectively banned in Iran for most Iranians; however, some Iranian minorities, like Armenians, Assyrians and other recognised groups, are allowed to access state-translated books. According to reports from human rights groups, these minorities are also not immune to persecution. There are almost 800,000 converted Christians in Iran.
The state media broadcast also shows surveillance footage and confessions. The Iranian Intelligence Ministry alleges that the bible was smuggled into the country and that those individuals were trained abroad within an 'Evangelical network tied to foreign intelligence'.
Mansour Borji, director of the religious liberty group Article 18, has claimed that these confessions were forced and condemned this media coverage as hate speech.
“The clear suggestion being made here is that all Evangelical Christians are associates of Mossad,” said Borji. Article 18 operates with the sole purpose of protecting and promoting religious freedom in Iran, and advocating on behalf of its persecuted Christians. They argue that these are mostly politically motivated charges backed by incomplete evidence.
11 of the 53 arrested have been released on bail. These arrests are part of the crackdown, which has started following the 12-day war with Israel. Since the ceasefire on June 25, approximately 50 Christians have been arrested across 21 cities in Iran. Many cases involved possession of the Bible and collaboration with hostile states like the US and Israel.
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