# Iran answered only 1 of 8 UN letters on Christians, calling converts a 'national security threat' while seizing historic church · Mercy Herald

> UN rapporteur Mai Sato warns that the eviction of St. Peter's Evangelical Church compound reflects ongoing state pressure on believers.

Endereço: https://joinmercy.com/journal/en/iran-answered-only-1-of-8-un-letters-on-christians-calling-converts-a-national-s
Atualizado em: 2026-11-05

[Photo: christiandaily.com](https://www.christiandaily.com/news/un-rapporteur-links-tehran-church-seizure-to-wider-pressure-on-irans-christians)

In July, armed guards took control of the compound of St. Peter's Evangelical Church in central Tehran, ending decades of community life and worship at the site. The historic property, founded in the 19th century and recognized as the oldest Protestant church compound in the Iranian capital, was transferred to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, a state-controlled organization tasked with confiscating private and religious property under Revolutionary Court rulings. The sudden eviction affected 27 Armenian and Assyrian Christian residents, who saw the premises sealed a month ahead of the deadline previously communicated by authorities.

Mai Sato, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, addresses a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, in Geneva, Jan. 23, 2026. Screenshot: YouTube/United Nations Office at Geneva