Maryam Naghash-Zargaran
Maryam was arrested in late 2012 and is currently serving a four-year sentence in the women’s ward of Evin prison. Maryam was charged with “conducting propaganda against the Islamic regime and acting against the national security.” These are charges routinely levelled against Iranian Christians in order to criminalize any expression of their Christian faith.
The court determined that she had converted from Islam to Protestant Christianity, set up house churches, evangelized Muslim women and youth and propagated Christianity. She was found guilty and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on 9 March, 2013. During her time in prison Maryam, who has a heart condition has been denied hospital treatment that the prison doctor prescribed.
Prison Address:
Maryam Naghash-Zargaran
Evin Prison
Saadat Abad
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Updates
Iranian Christian Maryam Naghash Zargaran released!
Thank you for your prayers for Maryam Naghash Zargaran, an Iranian convert to Christianity, who, we are delighted to report, was released from prison on Wednesday (NZ time). Maryam has served a four-year sentence in the women’s ward of Evin Prison in Tehran. She was imprisoned in July 2013 after being found guilty of ‘propagating […]
Update – March 2017
Sources: Mohabat News, World Watch Monitor, 30 March 2017
The health of Iranian Christian convert, Maryam Naghash Zargaran, continues to decline. It was reported that over the past week her condition worsened and she is again in need of urgent medical care. According to a prison mate, Zargaran is also suffering from severe weight loss.
The stressful conditions in prison have exacerbated a congenital heart condition, which can reduce the blood’s oxygen levels.
Zargaran, accused of running a house church, was imprisoned in the women’s ward of Evin Detention Centre, Tehran, in 2013.
She has been on hunger strike several times to protest against being denied medical treatment for long-standing health issues. Her sentence was extended to make up for time receiving treatment outside prison.
Last year her family said that prison conditions and the pressure of her pending court case had traumatised her and left her suffering with depression.
Updates
December 2016
Iranian Christian Maryam Naghash Zargaran returned to Evin Prison on 5 December 2016 after medical parole — only to be told on arrival that her overall sentence term had been extended by an additional 45 days. Prison officials punished her for not returning on time.
After being granted a five-day leave, which was extended by a court ruling, Maryam’s plea for conditional release was rejected. The young woman’s health remains a serious concern despite various periods of medical leave.
