Iranian Who Converted from Islam to Christianity... Court Rules "Refugee Status Must Be Granted"

Entered Korea After Fellow Church Member Was Arrested
"Recognized Fear of Persecution in Home Country"

An Iranian national who converted from Islam to Christianity in his home country has been granted refugee status by a South Korean court. The decision was based on the potential risk of persecution faced by Christians in Iran.

On September 12, according to Yonhap News and the legal community, the Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 10 (Presiding Judge Cho Daehyun) recently ruled in favor of the Iranian national, referred to as Mr. A, who filed a lawsuit to overturn the denial of refugee status by the head of the Seoul Immigration Office.

View of Seoul Administrative Court.

Mr. A was born into a devout Muslim family and attended an Islamic seminary, but eventually realized that Islam did not align with his conscience. He later encountered Christianity at a church in Isfahan, decided to convert, and was baptized in a hotel by Christian missionaries disguised as tourists.

After converting, Mr. A traveled to countries including Türkiye, Armenia, and the Philippines to receive Christian education. Upon returning to Iran, he shared his faith in secret through so-called "house church" gatherings. In 2018, when a fellow church member was arrested by the police and he received a warning from a relative in the Revolutionary Guard that he too would soon be apprehended, Mr. A left Iran for the Philippines and then entered South Korea within the same year.

He continued to actively participate in worship and evangelism while in Korea, and in 2020, applied for refugee status. However, the authorities refused his application, stating that his account of events was difficult to trust. The court, however, reached a different conclusion. The panel found Mr. A's testimony to be specific, consistent, and free of any obvious contradictions, thereby recognizing its credibility.

The court particularly noted that he provided detailed statements about circumstances that would be difficult for a non-Christian Iranian to know, such as the operation of Christian activities in Iran in the form of "house churches," and the use of "swimming" as a code word for baptism. Taking into account the treatment of Christians in Iran, the court found that there exists a well-founded fear that Mr. A would be persecuted if he returned to his home country.

The panel explained, "Islam is inextricably intertwined with Iran’s national identity. According to Sharia, the Islamic religious law, those who convert from Islam are regarded as apostates and may even face the death penalty, which is classified as a criminal offense under Iranian law." The court concluded, "The various religious activities Mr. A engaged in before and after entering South Korea could themselves be considered acts of apostasy punishable by death according to Iran's constitution, criminal law, and Sharia." It further added, "Iran is currently at war with the United States and Israel, and in a nation facing such a major crisis, social cohesion and loyalty to the state are strongly emphasized. In this process, the risk of human rights violations or discrimination against minorities with beliefs different from the majority increases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.