Update: protests and violence against Christian convert in Evin Prison

Please pray for Gharzal Marzban, who has been subjected to violent treatment for protesting whilst in prison, resulting in a broken bone.

In the latest concerning three Christian women recently imprisoned in Evin Prison, Iran, Ghazal Marzban has reportedly been beaten and injured in protests carried out by inmates. The protests erupted when around 50 new individuals were transferred to the women’s ward, which is already severely overcrowded.

Ghazal is a Christian convert who was recently condemned to over nine years in prison for charges of anti-government behaviour. According to Article18, she had also been carrying out a hunger strike that she discontinued at the concerns of friends. During the protests, Ghazal was beaten and a bone in her hand fractured as a result of the authorities’ violent treatment. Since then, she has not been taken to a hospital and continues to suffer acute pain.

The incident reflects wider concerns raised by human rights organisations over the treatment of prisoners in Iran – treatment which includes the systematic use of torture and other abusive methods to silence dissidents and intimidate the public.

Please pray

Your prayers are urgently needed for Ghazal and those who, like her, are enduring violence and mistreatment because of their faith and boldness.

Please pray,

• For Ghazal’s complete healing, protection from further abuse and strength to remain steadfast in faith

• That God would comfort and embolden Christians imprisoned in Iran, sustaining them with His peace and hope as they endure persecution

• For all kinds of abuse and mistreatment to cease in Iran and that the nation’s authorities would uphold human dignity in every matter.

2 June 2026

Three women silenced in Iran – please pray

Months since the protests and mass loss of life, the days of Iran’s people are continually plagued by fear, uncertainty and growing need. The air is fraught with political tensions and the echoes of explosions. With rising living costs, the persistent anxiety of being targeted by the authorities remains – that’s what happened to Bahar Sahraian, who was arrested recently in the city of Shiraz. 

Sahraian is a reputed lawyer, widely known for defending Iranian Christians, political prisoners and individuals from religious minorities who often have no protection under Iran’s judicial system. She has worked for years with persecuted Christians and vulnerable groups as an advocate – a voice that has been temporarily silenced under the tightening fist of the Iranian regime. 

Once arrested, Sahraian was transferred to Adelabad prison, an institution infamous for its intimidation, abuse and silencing of dissidents. Its harsh conditions raise deep concerns for the well-being of Sahraian and other political prisoners confined there. 

Made to disappear 

You may remember that, five years ago, Open Doors called for prayer for Mary Mohammadi, a Christian convert who works as a human rights defender and journalist. Mary was arrested for the first time at age 19, when she converted from Islam to Christianity, and was confined to Evin prison between November 2017 and May 2018. She was rearrested in 2020 and came in and out of prison for another few months. 

Once again this year, Mary has reportedly been arrested by the authorities. According to Amnesty International, she was ‘subjected to enforced disappearance’ when she was travelling from Tehran to Ahvaz in February. At that time, Mary was in communication with her family – but on 26 February, her messages abruptly cut off. 

Since her disappearance, the authorities have refused to disclose Mary’s whereabouts. Amnesty International states that she was detained in Ahvaz before being transferred to an unknown location at the start of April. 

Sadly, such an incident is not rare in Iran, nor is the authorities’ refusal to offer more information. Voices of justice for Christians and other minorities are often targeted for exposing government injustices in Iran, and Mary Mohammadi is prominent amongst dissidents supporting Christians. In 2023, she was presented with the St Stephen’s Award for persecuted Christians at a ceremony in Bonn for her ‘outstanding courage’ and ‘extraordinary selflessness’.

The wider cost

Ghazal Marzban is a Christian convert imprisoned in Evin Prison who has been sentenced to nine years and eight months for, according to the judge, ‘propaganda against the regime’ and ‘assembly and collusion against the regime’.

In January, Ghazal’s home was invaded and raided. Her Bibles and Christian books were confiscated and she was taken to an undisclosed detention facility before being intensely interrogated. Ghazal was then forced to confess that the material found at her home was used for evangelism, even though she had stated that they were for personal use.

Ghazal’s status is already concerning, but there is a wider cost: her husband suffers from Parkinson’s disease and is struggling to access medication. Further, Ghazal has been on a hunger strike since 25 May to protest the charges placed against her. Concern amongst human rights advocates is compounding as Ghazal’s physical condition is continuing to deteriorate.

Please stand with them

Many fear for prisoners like Bahar, Mary and Ghazal who are being forced to endure cruel conditions and likely intense interrogation. Further, these events only compound the anxieties felt by the Christian community in Iran – that those who speak up for them and follow Christ will only be silenced and punished. Believers remain highly vulnerable to arrest and persecution in a time of greater government surveillance. 

This is one of many challenges facing the church across the Middle East, and why your support is crucial in helping strengthen what remains. Please continue to stand with them.