Question 17975 — foreign policy

Summary

Mrs Lise Magnier draws the attention of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs to the situation of the Christian community in Iran. Article 13 of the Iranian Constitution of December 3, 1979 officially recognizes the minority of Christians in Iran and a 1984 law made it possible to create 3 seats out of 290 in the Iranian Parliament in order to represent Christians of Armenian and Assyro-Chaldean origin. However, the entire Christian community does not have the same status. Catholics of Latin origin, evangelical Protestants and converted Muslims face discrimination. This part of the Christian community is persecuted, dismissed from their civil service positions and chased out of universities. The real problem centers on the increased number of arrests and imprisonments. At the end of 2018, 114 Christians were arrested compared to 75 in 2014, placing Iran 9th in the world out of 50 states persecuting Christians the most. The latter can no longer go to places of worship and are forced to create “house churches”. Raids on their properties are becoming more and more frequent, violating freedoms of assembly and association. Once arrested by the intelligence services, the interrogations are violent and force, under penalty of imprisonment, some to renounce their religion. Detainees testify to moral and physical abuse, particularly women who are subject to sexual violence. Prison sentences are between 5 and 10 years and judges can, according to Islamic law, impose a death sentence on converted Muslims. Also, she asks what France's intervention will be to deal with this situation violating human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights.

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