Evin prison authorities have been refusing to provide female Christian prisoner with much needed medical care in the last few months.
Mohabat News - Reports received from Iran indicate Christian prisoner, Maryam (Nasim) Naghash Zargaran has gone on a hunger strike to protest the unfair refusal of authorities to provide her with critical medical attention.
In addition to medical concerns, Ms. Zargaran is concerned over unfair handling of her case by Iranian judicial authorities. She started her hunger strike on May 25, 2016.
She is serving her sentence in the women.s ward of the notorious Evin prison. As part of her protest she has also refused to accept visitors, which prompted her inmates to do the same in her support.
Read more: Female Christian Prisoner Faces Health Issues in Iranian Prison
Despite her dire need for professional medical care, prison authorities have refused to send her to a hospital outside prison facilities for proper care. Ms. Zargaran underwent a heart surgery about nine years ago and needs frequent medical attention.
One of her family members said, .Maryam hasn.t left her bed in four days. She is burning with fever and has been on hunger strike to raise her protest against prison authorities. indifference toward her health, her request for temporary release or leave which every prisoner is entitled to..
This family member continued, .She is suffering from serious health issues. Before going on hunger strike she had lost 25 KG and her health issues had intensified. Authorities do not show the slightest concern over Maryam.s health. In addition, she is suffering from depression and takes depression medications for it..
This source also mentioned she had filed an appeal which has been dropped from her case without her knowledge.
Read more: Female Christian Prisoner Strip Searched Upon her Return to Prison
Maryam Naghash Zargaran is a 36 year old Christian believer who was arrested in the winter of 2013 for her faith and arbitrarily charged with .action against national security.. She was summoned to the intelligence office on January 6, 2013, where she was put under temporary arrest for three days. After initial interrogations, she was transferred to Evin prison and her case was sent to the Revolutionary Court.
An initial court in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Courts, sentenced her to four years in prison for .propagating against the Islamic regime and collusion intended to harm national security.. Later, an appeals court approved this sentence. Ms. Zargaran was instructed to report to Evin prison to serve her sentence. She reported to Evin prison on July 15, 2013, and has remained there ever since.
Iranian judicial and security authorities have repeatedly tried to make up false allegations against Christian converts to pressure them and to distort public opinion about them. Most of these false allegations are political and argue that house-churches are actually political groups which are in contact with or spy for foreign countries like England and Israel. In most of the Christian cases, Iranian authorities try to downplay the religious aspect of these cases and make them appear as political cases, in order to unmercifully sentence them and avoid international pressure.
Remember those in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as
if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3, NIV
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away.
39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The church in Iran needs the powerful intercessory prayers of the saints worldwide.
The following are some prayer points on behalf of the persecuted church in Iran:
Pray that the Lord would cover Pastor Hamid Pourmand, his family and other Iranian Church leaders with His
grace, goodness and mercies. Pray that they would feel His presence, and the
Holy Spirit would comfort and strengthen them in their
Christian walk. Pray for God's angels to surround the Pourmands and other
persecuted saints in Iran, so that their bodies, minds and spirits would be kept safe.
Pray that the Lord would give wisdom and boldness to Christian
leaders and followers of Christ in Iran. Pray for a fresh anointing of
the Holy Spirit upon them.
Pray that the authorities in Iran would administer true justice, and
that they would come to know the Truth that sets everyone free. Pray
that the authorities remove restrictions on Iranian Christians, their leaders, and their church services.
Pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to many Iranians through
dreams and visions and that many would be born by the Holy Spirit and
become children of God.
Pray that more evangelistic resources would become available for
multitudes of Iranians who hunger for the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eternal Life Agape Ministries and FarsiNet Ministries are committed to supporting pastor Pourmand and other Iranian Christian leaders and ministries. In particular, we are committed to helping Emmanuel, Pastor Hamid Pourmand's son with his tuition until he completes his medical school. 100% of all contributions go to support this family.
If you would like to support Brother Pourmand's family and other Iranian
Christians who suffer for their faith and are without financial means as a
result of this latest wave of persecution in Iran, you can do so through Eternal Life Agape Ministries (address below). You can
also help send pocket size Farsi New Testaments to Iran. For each $5, a
Farsi New Testament could be hand carried to Iran and placed in the hands of
an Iranian Muslim. Today is the day to reach Iranians. You are welcome to
send your donations for Pourman's family as well as Farsi New Testament for Iranians to the following address:
Eternal Life Agape Ministries
P.O. Box 3011
Chatsworth, CA 91313-3011, USA
Tel. 818-882-0586 Fax. 818-882-2057
Jesus said: "I have told you these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world."
- Gospel of John 16:33
PS: Under Islamic law enforced in Iran, a Muslim who converts to Christianity faces the death penalty.
"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection...
they were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were put to death by the sword... the world was
not worthy of them." -- Hebrews 11: 37-38.
2015 - December 19 - A number of house Church leaders and members in Isfahan are harassed and brought to Security and Information Office for questioning
2013 - October 21 - Pastor Eddie Romero - Tonight, at about 10:30PM (9:00AM Tehran time) Pastor Eddie Romero approached the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran and made a declaration of protest on behalf of five Iranian prisoners: Farshid Fathi, Saeed Abedini, Mostafa Bordbar, Alireza Seyyedian, and Mohammed Ali Dadkhah.
For more information go to: exodus8one.org
2013 - October 5 - Maryam Naghash-Zargaran - Maryam (aka Nasim) an Iranian Christian Prisoner in Evin Prison was Transferred to Hospital
2012 - January - The Governor General of Tehran Province, Morteza Tamadon, acknowledged in a statement on 4th January that a number of evangelical Christians had been arrested. He referred to their 'corrupting' influence and warned that further arrests are imminent.
2011 - December - Alireza Seyyedian - Alireza a Follower of Jesus since 2006, was arrested and sentenced to six years in December 2011. He is kept in the section 350 of Evin Prison where political prisoners are held.
2011 - September - Mehdi "Petros" Foroutan, a 27-year-old pastor in Iran, was arrested in January 2010 and charged with crimes against national security and blasphemy against Islam. (as of 2/24/2012 - 154 days in Prison)
2011 - May - Behnam Irani, a 41-year-old pastor from Kraj, Iran, was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and sentenced to one year in prison. After voluntarily surrendering to authorities on May 31 to begin his sentence, he learned that he would be forced to serve five years in connection with a previous conviction.
2011 - Rev. Behrooz Khanjani trial hearing on 4/5/2001, He is married with a 6 yo child and has already spent over 8 months in prison
2011 - Rev. Leonard Keshishian, the pastor of the Assemblies of God Church in Isfahan has been arrested
2010 - December 26 - Farshid Fathi - was arrested on Dec. 26, 2010 in a wave of arrests of believers in Tehran and other areas. He was sentenced to six years of imprisonment on March 5, 2012. Farshid's appeal against the charges was rejected in June 2012. He is due to serve the rest of his sentence in Evin Prison.
2010 - October - a young believer has died in Iran after he had been severely beaten by a relative who objected to his strong faith in Christ. He leaves behind a wife and two young children. (Reported by Elam)
2010 - September 23, Nine followers of Jesus were detained in Hamedan, the capital of Hamadan province, on charges of evangelism, which potentially carries the death penalty under strict laws in Iran.
- According to a report by FCNN (Farsi Christian News Network), 4 followers of Jesus Christ from Hamadan were arrested on September 4, 2010. Three of them were released on April 30, 2011, after 8 months in prison (Arezoo Teymouri & her husband Arash Karmanjai and Sonia Keshish Ovanesian). Vahid Abrahemian is still under arrest as of April 30, 2011.
2010 - July 24 at 9:00 p.m., 27-year-old Neshan Saeedi was spending a quiet evening at home with his wife and young daughter when plain-clothes security forces entered his house and arrested him. The security officers searched the home and seized personal belongings such as a computer, CDs containing films of Christian seminars and teachings, Christian books and Bibles, and family photo albums. As of September 09, 2010 - there is no information about the condition of Neshan.
2010 - July 18, 15 Christians detained in Mashhad,Iran's second largest city, remain detained and are "under pressure pressure to recant their faith but are refusing to do so." - (Reported by The Voice of the Martyrs)
2010 - April 29, Ali Golchin (29), has been held in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin prison since he was arrested in his home town of Varamin on April 29. After weeks of appealing to the authorities, Ali's father was finally allowed access to him on June 17 -- though they were allowed only 10 minutes together. Ali was released on bail on July 25.
2008 - Sakineh Rahnama), August 3, wife of Abbas Amiri, died from injuries sustained when secret police raided a house church service hosted at their house and severly beat her.
2008 - Abbas Amiri), August 1, House Church Isfahan, died from injuries sustained when secret police raided a house church service hosted at their house and severly beat him.
2007 - In June, a number of Iranian Christians have been arrested and are held in unknown places, including Mr. fard from Tehran.
2007 - Mohammad Ali Jafarzadeh, May 2007, Executed (hanged) in Evin Prison
2007 - Mohammad Jaberi, May 2007, Executed (hanged) in Evin Prison
2007 - Mr. Patrick, an Iranian Christian and a member of Church of Kermanshah was arrested in May.
2007 - Several Iranian Christians from Church of Mashhad were arrested in February.
2006 - 14 Iranian Christians from Church of Rasht were arrested in December.
2006 - Iranian secret police began to raid and arrest leaders of the Islamic republic's indigenous "Jesus Only" movement Sunday December 10, arriving unannounced in the early morning hours to search their homes in Tehran, Karaj, Rasht and Bandar-i Anzali.
2005 - Pastor Ghorbandordi Tourani - Iranian House Church Leader murdered near his house in Gonbad-e Kavous, November 22
Please send your comments and questions to
icc@farsinet.com.
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Martyred & Imprisoned Christian Leaders in Iran
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