Iran’s New Apostasy Law

New Penal Code Mandates Death for Converts

The intimidation of Christians has been happening while parliament has been revising Iran’s penal code whereby death for male converts will be mandatory. Articles 225-8 of the new code bluntly states that punishment for a male apostate is ‘death’ and for a female it is life imprisonment - unless she re-cants. This code has special clauses for ‘parental’ and ‘innate’ apostates. The former have three days to recant; the latter none. Such details do nothing to hide the fundamental injustice of a law that seeks to ferociously punish its citizens for choosing their own religion.

Up to now the death sentence has been available as a punishment for apostasy from Islam in Iran, but individual judges could use their discretion. However the word used in this new legislation is ‘hadd’ which means this is a fixed punishment that cannot be changed, reduced, or annulled.

The new Penal Code was approved in principal by the Iranian parliament on September 9^th 2008, and is now being reviewed before it is sent back to parliament for the second round of voting by the majority conservative parliament. In final stage the Guardian Council will have to give its consent after which it will then become law. Read more on this new law ...