09/13/2020 Iran (International Christian Concern) – Three Iranian Christian converts have fled Iran following the rejection of their appeals. Kvian Fallah-Mohammadi, Hadi Asgari, and Amin Afshar-Naderi were facing a combined 35 years in prison because of their faith. Their flight comes just weeks after two other Christians fled the country after also having their appeals rejected.
The flight of five Christians from within a space of a few weeks is noteworthy, especially as their cases were some of the most publicized amongst Iran’s persecuted Christian community. These five cases, however, were also all interconnected and trace back to a December 2014 Christmas celebration. Many of the more well-known cases trace back to several years ago, and their outcomes have only reached some type of conclusion within the past year.
It is worth noting that apart from these and a few other cases originating from several years ago, few Iranian Christians have had their cases as heavily publicized. The combination of public silence from “newly” persecuted Christians and the flight of those whose judicial cases are more dated is a telling marker. There is a sense that Iran wants to force Christians out of the country, but leaving is an incredibly painful and difficult process. The church is at an important crossroad, even as persecution in Iran increases.
