Iranian Christians, New Converts Face Deteriorating Situation
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006
Posted: 10:58:38AM EST

As a relatively peaceful decade continues to take a sharp turn for the worse for believers in Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Christians are frightened, according to an international ministry to the persecuted church.

"The last 10 years were relatively calm," said Open Doors staff worker Stefan Van Velde. "Between 1990 and 2004, Christian life wasn't easy, but we counted fewer arrests and fewer incidents of torture than in the period before 1990.

"But in the last phase of Mohammad Khatami’s presidency, the situation deteriorated for the Christian population," he added.

The staff worker counted nearly 90 church leaders who were arrested in September 2004 with persecution worsening since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected in June 2005. The rest