Landmark Tehran Church Faces State Expropriation

St Peter's Presbyterian Church, a historic Protestant landmark in Tehran, is facing expropriation in favor of the state-run EIKO Foundation. The British Christian organization Article18 reported that Armenian and Assyrian families living on the church grounds have been ordered to vacate their apartments, and that worshipers have been told to find another church.

The church was founded by American missionaries on land donated by the Iranian ruler Naser ad-Din Shah and was consecrated in 1876. It has served Tehran's small Protestant community for nearly 150 years. The complex also includes two schools and dozens of residential buildings.

The expropriation is based on a 1998 ruling by a revolutionary court that awarded the land to the EIKO Foundation. According to former pastor Sargez Benjamin, 20 families have been given two weeks to leave, and church leaders have been threatened with arrest if they fail to comply.

Article18 describes the case as another example of long-standing pressure on Protestant Christians in Iran. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi says the case reflects the continuation of policies targeting Christians, particularly converts.

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