Christian converts deported from US could face death penalty if they return home, advocates warn

By Samantha Kamman - Posted at The Christian Post:

Published March 5, 2025

Christian human rights advocates are warning that some Christian immigrants could face death if deported from the United States, actions that may violate international treaties and contradict one of President Donald Trump's executive orders.

Jeff King, president of the U.S.-based watchdog organization International Christian Concern, has responded to a report that at least 10 of the roughly 350 migrants deported last month from the U.S. to Panama for their eventual return home are Iranian Christian converts from Islam.

As The New York Times highlighted in a Feb. 18 report, the migrants put on a military plane to Panama last month and housed in a hotel come from a variety of countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Uzbekistan.

King noted many of these countries have a history of persecuting Christians, and while he acknowledged Pakistan as a place of concern, the ICC president cited Iran as the bigger threat.

"If returned to Iran, they will face the death penalty for apostasy — a severe crime under Sharia law," King told The Christian Post. "Iranian Christians have been heavily persecuted for decades despite a long history in the country."

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