Iran’s state media labels Christians ‘spies’

Iranian state television has accused recently arrested Christians of espionage in a broadcast before any trial.

Iranian state television has accused Christians of being spies. At least 54 Christians have been arrested in recent months, charged with ‘anti-security activities’ – and now the nation’s state media has claimed that these believers were committing espionage.

The broadcast showed images of gatherings abroad, confiscated Bibles and other Christian books, and supposed surveillance footage of Bibles being brought into the country. It also included confessions from some detainees – which appear to be made under coercion – who admitted under pressure to travelling outside Iran for religious instruction.

Accusations broadcast without trial

The accusations against these 54 Christians were broadcast nationally before any trial had taken place into the charges they are facing, raising concerns about due process and the right of citizens to defend themselves in court. The television report suggested links between evangelical Christians and foreign intelligence services, a narrative that paints an entire faith community as a security threat.

Such framing fits into a wider pattern in which ordinary Christian practices – including prayer, worship, baptisms, and possession of Bibles – are all treated as criminal acts. By presenting evangelical Christians as ‘traitors’, the broadcast risks deepening hostility toward them in Iranian society.

This situation emphasises the challenges faced by Persian-speaking Christians in Iran, which is number nine on the World Watch List and where open worship remains restricted and many are forced to meet in secret.

This is a call for the global church to be aware, to pray for endurance and protection for these believers, and to stand in solidarity with those who are targeted simply for practising their faith in Jesus.