Iranian officials charged into the 100-year-old church, changed the locks and told the warden to leave, according to Christian Iranian rights group Article Eighteen. Members of the church community are reportedly fearful since pastors from other churches were prevented from going to the Tabriz church. The invasion “made it clear that the Assyrian people are no longer allowed to hold any worship service there”, a source told Article Eighteen.
They said the raid was carried out by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence and EIKO, an organisation under the direct control of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
The church had been “confiscated” by Revolutionary Court order in 2011.
However, worshippers had been allowed to continue using the building for services until the intrusion on May 9.
Article18’s Advocacy Director, Mansour Borji said in a statement: “Many churches owned by Protestants have been confiscated in Iran.
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“In most cases the government has been unable to repurpose them, especially if they were listed.
“So they typically remain as empty buildings, often neglected, and turn into ruins before being demolished, as was the case with the church in Kerman.”
Assyrian and Armenian Christians are recognised as a minority in Iran.
Religious freedom activists recently met with politicians in Washington DC to discuss the escalating war against religious minorities in the country.
Among the attendees was Maryam Rostampour who was sent to one of Iran’s most infamous prisons and sentenced to execution by hanging after promoting the religion in Iran.
Ms Rostampour told an audience: “The Iranian Government arrested and imprisoned us because of our Evangelical and Christian faith.
“We were threatened and indicted with execution by hanging for charges of apostasy, blasphemy and promoting Christianity in Iran.
“We spent 259 days in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison where we learned why Iran is classified as among the countries where followers of Christ face the most extreme persecution.”