South Korean court overturns refugee status denial for Iranian Christian
The Seoul Administrative Court in South Korea overturned an immigration service decision denying refugee status to an Iranian citizen who converted from Islam to Christianity. The court concluded that converts to Christianity may face persecution in Iran.
Appeal against the denial
As Korea Herald reports, Judge Cho Dae-hyeon of the Seoul Administrative Court upheld the applicant’s lawsuit seeking to overturn the denial by the Seoul Immigration Office. The publication describes the case as a six-year legal battle.
The applicant was born into a devout Muslim family and attended an Islamic school. He later decided to convert to Christianity after attending a church in Isfahan. He received Christian education during trips to Turkey, Armenia and the Philippines, and also worked as a missionary in a network of underground house churches.
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In 2020, the man applied for refugee status in South Korea. Immigration authorities denied his application, questioning the credibility of his account.
Risk of persecution in Iran
The applicant left Iran after the arrest of a colleague who had also converted to Christianity. A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned him that the applicant could also be arrested.
The court noted that the plaintiff consistently and specifically described the situation of Christians in Iran and provided details that, in the court’s view, would be difficult for an Iranian who is not a Christian to know. The court also referred to Sharia, under some interpretations of which apostasy from Islam may be severely punished, including by death. In the court’s view, the applicant’s Christian activities could expose him to the death penalty under Iran’s constitution, criminal legislation and interpretations of Sharia.
