Iranian Christian Convert Faces Nearly a Decade Behind Bars
In a move highlighting ongoing religious repression, Iran has sentenced Ghazal Marzban, a Christian convert, to nine years and eight months in prison. Her conviction stems from charges related to state security and anti-government activities following the seizure of her Bible and Christian materials during a raid at her residence in January.
Article18, a U.K.-based organization focusing on religious freedom in Iran, reported that Marzban, a Catholic convert and former prisoner of conscience, faced charges including propaganda against the government and collusion against national security. The sentence was handed down by Judge Iman Afshari of the Revolutionary Court, who has been sanctioned by the European Union for issuing stringent sentences against political prisoners, including Christians.
Marzban was apprehended in her Tehran home in January. Authorities confiscated her Bible and other Christian literature, detaining her at an undisclosed location without clarification regarding her arrest.
Shortly after her arrest, Marzban managed to call her husband from a Ministry of Intelligence detention center, but she was cut off from her family for a month. During interrogation, she was pressured to admit that her Christian texts were intended for evangelizing, a claim she refuted, asserting that the materials were for personal use and her right as a Christian.
Previously, Marzban served two months in Evin Prison in 2024 for allegedly spreading propaganda against the regime through protest slogans. Her first arrest occurred in November 2024 after she protested harassment following her conversion to Catholicism seven years prior.
Her conversion led to her being barred from taking the bar examination and being pressured to leave Iran. Additionally, her husband, who is also a convert, struggles to obtain necessary medication for his Parkinson’s disease.
Mansour Borji, executive director of Article18, commented on the impact of Marzban’s sentence, describing it as a shared punishment for the couple, given her husband’s health needs and her inability to care for him while imprisoned.
Marzban’s arrest coincided with a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, which resulted in the deaths of thousands, including at least 22 Christians, according to earlier reports from Article18.
The Iranian government continues to impose severe restrictions on religious freedom, particularly against Christians who have converted from Islam, viewing their religious activities as threats to state security.
In a similar case, five Iranian Christians were recently sentenced to a combined 50 years in prison for activities related to prayer gatherings, baptisms, and Bible distribution. These sentences were issued under Tehran’s Revolutionary Court’s amended penal code.
Judge Abolqasem Salavati sentenced four individuals to 10-year terms and another to eight years. An additional two-year sentence was imposed on one woman due to social media activity.
Authorities accused these individuals of collusion and propaganda against the state, delayed formal verdict notifications, and provided only a brief appeal window. Two individuals had prior convictions linked to house church activities, with bail demands reaching substantial amounts.
One prisoner endured a severe injury while in custody, suffering a fractured spine and inadequate medical care, resulting in further health complications.
The crackdown on house churches in Iran traces back to a 2010 address by then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who labeled them a national security concern, leading to the confiscation of Christian texts for government scrutiny during legal proceedings.
Iran has witnessed significant unrest since December 2025, with protests ignited by economic pressures and dissatisfaction with the government, spreading across more than 100 cities. The Human Rights Activists News Agency confirmed over 7,000 protester deaths, while Iranian authorities reported at least 3,000 fatalities, attributing some deaths to security forces.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
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