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EIKO Moves to Seize St. Peter Evangelical Church in Tehran

A newly issued deed to the state‑linked Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order is set to transfer control of the site and put about 20 resident families at risk of eviction.

Iran has threatened to seize Tehran's historic St. Peter Evangelical Church and evict the 20 families who call the temple their home, according to multiple reports.
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Overview

  • Reporting this week says a new deed was issued in the name of EIKO and IRGC personnel have occupied a 2.5‑acre garden on the St. Peter compound, marking a formal step toward transfer of the property.
  • Tehran security forces have entered the church to identify residents, and church leaders say officials warned they will return to evacuate people living on the premises.
  • About 20 low‑income families currently live at St. Peter and face loss of housing and community support if authorities complete the takeover.
  • Church leaders say Iranian authorities refused to renew the church’s operating license and confiscated ownership documents, leaving congregants with little legal recourse in a judiciary they describe as state controlled.
  • Rights groups and diaspora leaders place the move in a wider pattern of pressure on religious minorities in Iran, with prior years showing arrests, property seizures, and increased IRGC influence over Christian institutions that could further curtail worship and prompt international advocacy.