Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, two young Iranian women who converted to Christianity, were sentenced to death by the Ayatollah regime after carrying out intensive evangelization work that included distributing thousands of copies of the New Testament in their home country.
Their story, which has gained international notoriety over the years, began long before their arrest. Both were born into Muslim families in Iran, but their lives took a turn after embracing the Christian faith. They met in 2005 during their theological training in Turkey and discovered that both had experienced a similar conversion years earlier. From that moment on, they decided to collaborate and return to Iran, where they began a clandestine religious outreach.
In Tehran, they organized meetings in their own home, creating two small groups: one aimed at young people and another focused on vulnerable women, including sex workers. Concurrently, they distributed around 20,000 Bibles in Persian, an activity deemed illegal by Iranian authorities.
### Arrest and Trial
Their arrest happened suddenly. As they later recounted, they were detained and immediately separated to undergo intensive interrogations. The agents wanted information about their beliefs, their contacts, and the meetings they organized. This marked the beginning of a judicial process in which they were charged with religious and political crimes.
The accusations included **apostasy, blasphemy, and actions against state security**—charges that, within the Iranian legal system, can carry extremely severe punishments. Ultimately, they were sentenced to death by hanging, a decision that sparked a strong reaction outside of Iran.
### Imprisonment in Evin
Following their arrest, they were transferred to the notorious **Evin Prison**, one of the harshest detention centers in the country. They remained there for nearly nine months, during which, according to their own testimony, they were subjected to constant pressure to renounce their faith. "We were offered freedom if we denied Christ," they have explained on various occasions.
During their time in prison, they described an environment of fear, isolation, and continuous tension, though they also claimed to have found moments of inner strength. Despite the circumstances, they say they tried to maintain their beliefs and even shared them discreetly with other inmates.
### International Impact and Freedom
The case began to gain international traction thanks to the mobilization of human rights organizations and religious communities, which denounced the situation and exerted diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime. This global campaign proved decisive: in 2009, both were finally released, and a year later, they were cleared of all charges.
After leaving Iran, they settled in the United States as refugees. Since then, they have participated in conferences, religious gatherings, and international tours to share their experience, which is also documented in the book *Captive in Iran*.
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### Political Activism
In recent times, they have returned to the media spotlight due to their political stances. Both have shown support for actions by Israel and the United States against the Iranian regime, which they hold responsible for internal repression. They have also publicly thanked President Donald Trump for his involvement in defending the Iranian people.
**Marziyeh Amirizadeh** has openly advocated for the necessity of regime change in Iran, arguing that the end of the Islamic Republic is essential to guarantee religious freedom and women's rights. For her part, **Maryam Rostampour** has expressed her hope for a deep transformation in the country that would allow its citizens to live without persecution.
Both maintain contact with Christian communities inside Iran and assert that many believers live in conditions of isolation, frustration, and fear. According to them, current legislation punishes religious conversion and evangelization, placing these groups in a position of particular vulnerability.
Their testimony has become one of the most well-known accounts of religious persecution in Iran and continues to be used by international organizations to denounce restrictions on the freedom of worship in the country.