Christians in Iran continue to face significant challenges on their right to freedom of religion or belief, as found in a recent report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

In part of the government’s ongoing efforts to stifle religious freedom, USCIRF found that Iranian authorities routinely spread misinformation to promote false narratives and justify their poor treatment of religious minorities. Among those targeted are Christian converts, often at the excuse of national security concerns and other arbitrary accusations.

According to the report, USCIRF found that “Iran’s misinformation campaign against Christian converts has persistently used vague national security accusations.”

These baseless claims are primarily produced through Iran’s state-controlled media outlets, which are heavily regulated to ensure that all content aligns with the government’s interpretation of Ja’afri Shi’a Islam. By targeting Christians through this propaganda campaign, Iranian authorities are attempting to shape public opinion in a way that favors the government’s mistreatment of religious minorities.

Source: persecution.org