When Iran arrests converts to Christianity, the charge is "Zionism"

From the the Christian Barnabas Fund:

[D]ozens of Christians [were] arrested in a co-ordinated series of raids by Revolutionary Guards targeting homes and house churches across three cities on June 30 and July 1.

At least 35 Christians were either interrogated or arrested on charges of “acting against national security by promoting Zionist Christianity” as part of the operation carried out in Tehran, Karaj and Malayer.

Promoting Zionist Christianity?

It turns out that Iran uses that charge routinely against converts from Islam to Christianity in Iran, along with some other charges. For example, in 2017 three Azerbaijani Christians and an Iranian Christian convert were sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal of Iran to ten years in prison each. The charges were " action against national security and the soft overthrow of the system through the promotion of Christianity" and  "the propagation of Zionist Christianity."

This way, Iran can claim to be tolerant of all religions and still arrest Christians under the excuse that they are really Zionists. 

Mohabat, the Iranian Christian News Agency, has been routinely reporting on these arrests. Lately, Iranian judges have been imposing astronomical bail terms on arrested Christians, up to $137,000. 

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