Sweden to Deport Christian to Iran Despite Danger
Sweden has rejected the asylum claim of Iranian Christian actress Aideen Strandsson and will deport her back to Iran, where she likely faces time in an Iranian prison -- or worse. In Iran, where it can be deadly to convert to Christianity, Strandsson kept her conversion largely a secret. But when she came to Sweden, she requested a public baptism. Iranian intelligence most likely is aware of her conversion and she has received threats on social media. Strandsson has said "I don't know what will happen to me, I know the punishment for me in Iran is death," she said. But "I have hope in Jesus, it's just the last hope I have in my life."
The deportation is a clear violation of international law. Article 33 of the Geneva Convention on Refugees, which Sweden signed, prohibits nations from deporting asylum seekers back to nations where they could face danger. A Swedish Migration Board press officer told CBN News, "If the person [has] well-founded reasons to fear persecution due to religious beliefs, he or she will be granted asylum in Sweden."
But Aideen's asylum request was rejected and her case has been turned over to the border police. At her hearing, a Swedish migration official told her it wouldn't be as bad for her in Iran as she is expecting because it would only be six months in prison.
Source: CBN News and Christian Post