Stockholm, Sweden, Apr 9, 2016 / 14:52 pm
Religious liberty advocates applauded a European court's ruling in favor of asylum for an individual fleeing life-threatening anti-conversion laws in Iran, on the grounds that his security must be taken into account.
"Asylum should be granted to individuals who are being persecuted and fear for their lives because of converting to a different religion," said Roger Severino, director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.
"Iran's anti-conversion laws violate the fundamental human right to be able to choose your own religion and live out your beliefs, which includes the right to change your religion without the government threatening imprisonment or in the case of Iran, death for apostasy," he told CNA.
Severino was responding to a European Court of Human Rights decision in F.G. v Sweden that Sweden must assess the dangers to an Iranian citizen who converted from Islam to Christianity if he is denied asylum and forced to return back to Iran.