19th April 2010
Iranian Christian Converts Face Charges of Apostasy
Mark Hanson
Two Christian women in Iran are facing charges of "propagation of the Christian faith" and "apostasy".
Maryam and Marzieh are converts to the Christian faith from Islam, and after their arrest there have been reports of harsh treatment and pressure to renounce Christ and return to Islam. Iran's law allows the death penalty for apostasy.
There was a court hearing on the 13th April, yet it remains unclear what the result of this was.
A third charge of anti-State activities was dropped, but this highlights how Christians have been targetted following the widespread protests resulting from the disputed Presidential election, in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was returned as President of Iran.
It is reported that Maryam and Marzieh have been held in the notorious Evin prison, which human rights groups claim is a place of extreme human rights violations. After the protests, certain reports suggested that screams could be heard coming from some of the opposition leaders who had been incarcerated there.
Open Doors is campaigning for the Christian women, and for updates please visit their campaign page.
