In the news/Δημοσιεύματα
EN: Everything we have found on the Internet about the plight of Maryam and Marzieh is here. You can submit more articles via the comments.
GR: Εδώ βρίσκονται όλα τα δημοσιεύματα σχετικά με τη Μαριάμ και την Μαρζιέχ. Μπορείτε να υποβάλετε κι άλλα άρθρα μέσω των σχολίων.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/030/2009/en
Iran: Prisoners of conscience / Medical concern
Download:
Index Number: MDE 13/030/2009
Date Published: 8 April 2009
Categories: Iran
Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, members of the Christian community in Iran, were arrested on 5 March 2009. In a telephone call Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad said that they are both suffering from an infection and have not received adequate medical attention. They remain detained without charge in an overcrowded cell with 27 other women. Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad may be prisoners of conscience, detained solely on account of their religious beliefs. Amnesty International is concerned for the women’s health.
http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/3401
Urgent Action : Maryam Rostampour (f), aged 27, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad (f), aged 30, Iranian Christians
MDE 13/030/2009 - UA 95/09
Two members of the Christian community in Iran, Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were arrested on 5 March 2009 by members of the security forces in Tehran. In a telephone call on 28 March Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad said that they are both suffering from an infection and high fever and have not received adequate medical attention. They remain detained without charge at Evin Prison in a overcrowded cell with 27 other women. Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad may be prisoners of conscience, detained solely on account of their religious beliefs. Amnesty International is concerned for the women’s health.
Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad have been participating in religious gatherings and handing out Bibles. On 5 March, one of the two women was summoned to appear at the office of the Ministry of Intelligence from where she was taken to the apartment they both shared. They were then both arrested on 5 March by members of the security forces and their personal belongings, computers, books, including Bibles, were confiscated from their home. Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were interrogated and held in several police stations before appearing before Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on 18 March. They were then taken to Evin Prison where they have remained since.
Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad have not been afforded a lawyer. However they have been allowed to receive family visits once a week and to make a one-minute daily telephone call. The women’s families were told that they would be released on a US$ 400,000 bail and that they are accused of “acting against state security” and “taking part in illegal gatherings. The families presented the title deeds of their homes. This however, has not yet been accepted by the judge handling the cases.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Although Christianity is a recognized religion in Iran, evangelical Christians, some of whom have converted from Islam, often face harassment by the authorities. Converts from Islam can risk arrest, attack or the death penalty. Conversion from Islam (apostasy) is considered as forbidden under Islamic Law, which requires apostates to be put to death if they refuse to reconvert to Islam. There is no specific provision in the Iranian Penal Code for apostasy, but judges are required to use their knowledge of Islamic Law to rule on cases where no specific legislation exists in the Penal Code.
A new version of the Iranian Penal Code is currently under consideration by the Majles (Parliament) and prescribes the death penalty for those considered to be apostates.
Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution states: “The investigation of individuals’ beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.” Article 18 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, states: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.”
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:
- calling on the authorities to release Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad immediately and unconditionally, if they have been arrested solely on account of their religious beliefs, or to promptly charge them with a recognizably criminal offence and try them is fair proceedings;
- calling for them to be granted immediate and unconditional access to a lawyer; and any medical treatment they require;
- urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that they are not being tortured or ill-treated while in detention.
APPEALS TO:
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info_leader@leader.ir
via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
http://www.leader.ir/langs/fa/index.php?p=letter(Persian)
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737, Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Javad Larijani)
Salutation: Dear Mr Larijani
Ambassade de la République islamique d’Iran
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 15
1050 Bruxelles
Fax : 02.762.39.15
Email : secretariat@iranembassy.be
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 20 May.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/09/iran-christianity-conversion
The cost of religious conversion in Iran
By Theresa Malinowska
In Iran, Christians like Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirzadeh face detention without charge, just for practising their beliefs
There’s no shortage of press coverage on Iran. Its ambitious nuclear programme combines with a steady flow of delusional commentary from President Ahmadinejad to ensure it a permanent presence on the international media stage.
What we rarely get to hear about in detail is the damage the Iranian ruling elite causes its own citizens on a daily basis.
Since the Islamic revolution, the 300,000-strong Baha’i community has faced consistent discrimination in Iran. They’ve been the victims of extrajudicial killings and unexplained disappearances. According to the community, 40 Baha’is are currently being detained in prison for no other «crime» than practicing their own beliefs. This number includes members of their national leadership. Baha’is are still banned from receiving higher education.
Although members of historical Christian minorities, such as Armenians, enjoy relative freedom in Iran, the story is different for those who have converted to Christianity from Islam.
Muslim converts to different faiths face intimidation, not only from their own families, but also from the Iranian authorities. They are regularly threatened, assaulted and detained without charges, or even executed. There are roughly 10,000 Christians from Muslim backgrounds in Iran and their experiences have not been very different to those of the Iranian Baha’i community.
Their stories and cries for help regularly get ignored by the international community, despite the fact that the freedom to change religion is clearly enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirzadeh, 30, are currently being held in the notorious Evin prison. These women are both converts to Christianity from Islam, and have been imprisoned without charge since 5 March, when police officers searched their home.
Maryam and Marzieh suffered sleep deprivation as part of the police interrogation process and are now sharing a cell with 27 other women. The women are known to be practicing Christians.
CSW’s research claims that there were more than 22 similar cases of apostates who were arrested and released during 2006. The story is usually the same. The victims are released following hefty bail payments, but are never given the opportunity to challenge their illegal detention. They are then left to patch up their lives and face the social stigma of being «apostates» in their communities.
Life in Iran may get even more challenging for «apostates» in the coming years.
Last October, the Iranian parliament voted in favour of a draft bill which would make the death penalty compulsory for all male apostates, while female apostates must live out their years in prison. If this bill is passed it will jeopardise the future of all Baha’is and Christian converts in Iran. The bill was hardly mentioned in the international press.
In light of that, there was something deeply ironic about President Ahmadinejad standing at the UN’s recent conference on racism, unashamedly lecturing the world on human rights. It is tragic to see the language of human rights manipulated in this way. Whatever President Ahmadinejad may say, hundreds of thousands of Iranians are having their voices silenced and their dignity destroyed, even as I write.
http://www.sabatina-ev.de/Botschaft.html
„Wer die Religion verlässt, den tötet!“
Seit März 2009 sind Mariam und Marzieh im berüchtigten Teheraner Gefängnis Evin inhaftiert. Zunächst mit 25 Frauen in einer (!) Zelle. Dann in Einzelhaft, wo sie mit verbundenen Augen verhört wurden. Ihr Verbrechen? Sie waren Muslime und konvertierten zum christlichen Glauben.
Besonders beunruhigend finden wir die Tatsache, dass gegen Mariam und Marzieh wegen „Abfall vom Islam“ ermittelt wird.
Das iranische Gesetz sieht für den Abfall vom Islam lebenslange Haft bzw. die Todesstrafe vor.
Ausserdem fordert §225.10 des Gesetzesentwurfes für Frauen: „An den fünf täglichen Gebetszeiten muss sie ausgepeitscht werden und ihre Lebensqualität und die Menge des Essens, der Bekleidung und des Wassers muss herabgesetzt werden, bis sie Reue zeigt.
Am 9. August 2009 war der erste Tag vor Gericht. Der stellvertretende Staatsanwalt Haddad forderte die beiden Frauen unter großem Druck auf, schriftlich und mündlich ihrem christlichen Glauben abzuschwören. Nach gesicherten Informationen muss es bewegend gewesen sein, wie sich die beiden Frauen sogar mit Herrn Haddad anlegten und immer wieder betonten, dass sie nichts bereuen und dem Glauben an Christus nicht abschwören. Wie wird das Urteil ausfallen?
Sabatina fordert die sofortige Freilassung von Maryam und Marzieh!
Deshalb haben Sabatina und die IGFM (Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte) eine Intitative für die beiden jungen Frauen gestartet. Mit einem Offenen Brief an die iranische Botschaft und einer Unterschriftenaktion möchten wir, gegen die Todesstrafe von Mariam und Marzieh protestieren und ihre Freilassung erreichen.
Iranian Women Converts Tell Court ‘We Will Not Deny Our Faith’
In a show of unshakable faith in Jesus Christ, two Iranian women accused of being Christians appeared in Tehran court Sunday and confessed that they “love Jesus” and will “not recant their faith.”
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(Photo Elim Ministries)File photo of Maryam Rustampoor, 27 (left) and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, (right)
They said they have no regrets.
Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were first arrested on March 5 for leaving Islam. They were placed in a solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison, deprived of medical attention and often blindfolded for interrogations for several hours for five months.
Elam Ministries, a ministry that specializes in serving the growing church in Iran, reported on Monday that “though great pressure was put on them, both women declared that they would not deny their faith” when they appeared before the court on Aug. 9.
The chief interrogator had recommended a verdict of apostasy. However, when they arrived, no verdict was actually given, the report said.
“Instead, the court session focused on the deputy prosecutor, Mr. Haddad, questioning Maryam and Marzieh about their faith and telling them that they had to recant in both verbal and written form,” it stated.
“It clear that in the eyes of the court, Maryam and Marzieh’s only crime is that they have converted to Christianity.”
Apostasy in Iran under Sharia Law is punishable by death.
Haddad asked the two women if they were Christians.
“We love Jesus,” they replied. He repeated his question and they said, “Yes, we are Christians.”
Haddad then said, “You were Muslims and now you have become Christians.”
“We were born in Muslim families, but we were not Muslims,” they replied.
Haddad asked them if they regretted becoming Christians. They replied, “We have no regrets.”
Then he stated emphatically, “You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form.” But they refused.
During one tense moment in the questioning, Maryam and Marzieh made reference to their belief that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit.
Haddad told them, “It is impossible for God to speak with humans.”
Marzieh asked him in return, “Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?”
Haddad replied, “You are not worthy for God to speak to you.”
Marzieh said, “It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy.”
The women were told to return to prison and think about the options they were given and come back to him when they are ready to comply.
“We have already done our thinking,» Maryam and Marzieh said.
At the end of the session, Haddad told them that a judge will give them his verdict, though it is not clear who will be the judge in their case now. He also allowed Maryam and Marzieh to have a lawyer represent them in the case for the first time since their arrest, the report said.
While the trial was going on, Voice of the Martyrs asked Christians to pray for the courageous duo.
Both women were back in Evin prison on the same day. Elim Ministries reported that during their five-month ordeal, both have been unwell and have lost much weight.
“Despite the concentrated effort of officials to pressure them into recanting their faith, Maryam and Marzieh love Jesus and they are determined to stand firm to the very end no matter whatever happens.”
“They have demonstrated their love for Jesus and would offer their lives for Him if they were called to do so,” the report said. After today’s court session they said, “If we come out of prison we want to do so with honor.”
“Maryam and Marzieh’s case is a clear and harsh violation of human rights and religious liberty by Iran’s authorities. They deserve the support of all those who respect human rights and to be released without charges so they can pursue a life of freedom.»
In a statement from Washington, D.C., International Christian Concern asked Iranian officials to free the Christian duo.
“We ask Iranian officials to free Maryam and Marzieh. Iran must respect their right to follow the religion of their choice. In this century, it’s unconscionable for any country to force its citizens to adhere to any particular religion,” said Jonathan Racho, ICC’s regional manager for African and the Middle East.
—-
http://www.ihrv.org/inf/?p=2595
Report of Court Session for Two Christian Girls
By IHRV | August 16, 2009
On August 9, the court hearing for two girls recently converted to Christianity was held in the revolutionary court in Tehran.
Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, are two recent Christian converts who have been detained in Intelligence section 209, and last Sunday they were transferred for a hearing to the office of Tehran’s deputy prosecutor in charge of Intelligence-related charges. The prosecutor charged both girls with heresy.
During the court session, Ghazi Hadad questioned both girls regarding their religious beliefs, and specifically asked both girls to reverse their decisions and reject the notion of religion conversion orally and in written form. The two prisoners rejected the order, and stressed their human rights and their freedom to choose their own religion.
The Prosecutor’s demand, clearly showed that from courts’ perspective, the only crime Mryam and Marzieh have committed was their choice of belief in becoming Christians. The deputy prosecutor told them they have ample time until their court date to think and to admit their error in changing their belief, while they remain in their cells.
At the end of the session, Mr. Hadad said that a judge will issue the ruling, though it is not clear which judge will be assigned to the case or which method will be used in the ruling. For the first time since Maryam and Marzieh’s detention, Mr. Hadad added that both can have a lawyer to represent them.
On March 5, the two girls were detained by a number of plainclothes agents and security guards inside their apartment in Tehran, and since then they have been held in section 209 inside Evin Prison.
The two detainees have been subjected to many mistreatments, including physical illness and solitary confinement, as well as being questioned while their eyes were covered on numerous instances. Maryam and Marzieh are physically ill and they have lost a lot of weight. Marzieh suffers from extreme pain in her spinal column, infection of a tooth and migraine-like headaches.
According to Islamic Republic Constitutional law, freedom of belief is accepted and, based on article 23 in the Constitution, religious prosecution is banned, and no one can be prosecuted simply because of their beliefs.
Source: Human Rights Advocates in Iran
http://haber.mynet.com/detay/dunya/bu-iki-kadin-idam-edilecek/468288
İran’da 27 yaşındaki Meryem Rostampour ve 30 yaşındaki Marzieh Esmaeilabad adındaki iki kadın din değiştirdikleri gerekçesiyle öldürülecek.
Bild gazetesinin haberine göre İran’da Hıristiyanlığa geçtikleri iddiasıyla tutuklanan iki kadın idama mahkum edildi.
Tahran’da bir hapishanede tutulan Meryem ve Marziah her ezan vakti kırbaçlanıyor, aşağılanıyor, az yemek ve su verilerek cezalandırılıyor…
5 Mart’ta evlerine düzenlenen baskında İncil bulununca gözaltına alınan bu iki kadının serbest kalması için çok uğraşan İnsan hakları savunucusu yazar Sabatina James, “Tek kişilik hücrede yaşıyorlar ve gözü kapalı şekilde sorgulanıyorlar. Günde 5 kez ezan saatlerinde kırbaçlanıyorlar. Çok az su ve yemek veriliyor.” diye isyan etti…
İran’da ceza kanunlarına göre İslam’dan çıkmanın cezası şöyle: “5 ezan vaktinde kadın kırbaçlanır, kadın itaat gösterene kadar yaşam kalitesi düşürülür, yiyeceği, giyeceği kısılır.
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1074861
| Θα τις σκοτώσουν επειδή άλλαξαν θρήσκευμα!
από ChristianAnarchist3 5:25πμ, Σάββατο 5 Σεπτεμβρίου 2009
(Τροποποιήθηκε 1:40μμ, Σάββατο 5 Σεπτεμβρίου 2009) |
| θεματικές: Ανένταχτο |
Μια φοβερή είδηση που τα ελληνικά ΜΜΕ δεν έκριναν σκόπιμο να τη μάθουμε… |
Deteriorating Health
http://www.elam.com/articles/Deteriorating-Health/
Maryam and Marzieh’s deteriorating health
Maryam and Marzieh have now been in prison in Tehran because of their faith for over six months and their health is deteriorating. This is the most urgent matter for prayer – that the Lord heals them directly and miraculously for the glory of His name and their encouragement.
Both women are suffering from sore throughts, irregular painful stomach aches and often intense head aches. Both have lost much weight during their ordeal, because of their sickness and lack of nutrition. Marzieh’s tooth infection is only being treated by painkillers and if the infection speads it could become critical.
Due to overcrowding in the prison and the limited facilities, they have not recieved adequate treatment. There are also many other sick inmates and so there is a constant risk of picking up other viruses.
Regarding their case, the judge has said that they are ‘not cooperating’ meaning Maryam and Marzieh would not deny Christ but were faithful witnesses. The implication of his remark is that they continue to stay in prison. This is the normal punishment for female apostates: they are kept imprisoned until they recant. Please pray for this judge that he is either removed from the case or that he orders their release.
———————————–
Remaining faithful
http://www.elam.com/articles/Determined-to-remain-faithful/
October 5th marked 7 months that Maryam Rustampoor (27) and Marzieh Amirizadeh (30) have been imprisoned in Tehran, Iran for thier Christian faith. This is a brief update on their situation:
They maintain they will not deny their faith
In the face of harsh prison conditions, constant interrogations, court proceedings, and severe pressure to recant their faith they have remained faithful to Christ. They maintain that they will not deny their faith.
In an interview with the voice of American Persian News Network, their lawyer said: «My clients are not prepared to lie about their faith under any condition.»
Their health
Both Maryam and Marzieh continue to be frail with ill health. On Sunday the 4th October Maryam had severe food poisoning and after much insistance finally the prison authorities relented and gave her medical attention.
The impact of their story
Maryam and Marzieh’s story has spread across the Christian world. Their faithfulness to Christ has encouraged countless believers and strengthened their faith. In Iran, many Christians have resolved to be faithful to Christ and have become morecourageous in following Jesus.
Maryam and Marzieh are aware that their world Christian family is praying for them. They are very encouraged that they are not voiceless and have not been forgotten. They say: «Thank you for praying for us. We are humbled and strengthened by your prayers and we are determined to remain faithful to Jesus, even unto death.»
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.
————————————————————————————————–
Maryam and Marzieh are released after 259 days in prison
http://www.csw.org.uk/urgentactioniranmaryamandmarzieh.htm
In an amazing answer to prayer, Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were released from Evin prison in Iran this week.
The two women may still have to attend civil court hearings. The women are also reported to be in very poor health, having spent 259 days in detention without access to appropriate medical care.
They sent their thanks to you for all your prayers and support: “Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release.” they said.
Please keep praying for their health to be fully restored, their continued safety and their full acquittal.
Background
November
Maryam and Marzieh are released.
October
Maryam and Marzieh are taken before the Revolutionary Court to face three charges. The anti-state charges against them are dropped, and their case is transferred to a general court which will consider the other two charges – propogation of Christianity and apostasy. They are returned to Evin Prison to await a court date.
July
Iran’s Parliamentary Committee recommends that the cause relating to the death penalty for apostasy be dropped from the Islamic Penal Code Bill, following intense international pressure. However, the Bill has yet to be finalised by the Iranian Parliament.
June
Iranian elections lead to social and political unrest. The Iranian Government and Ayatollah Khomeini blame foreign elements in the mass demonstrations. In the past, this linking of national unrest with international interference has been associated with increased targeting of non-Muslim religious minorities, deemed by the regime to be sympathisers with a Western agenda.
25 May
The EU publishes a Declaration expressing deep concern about religious persecution in Iran, in particular the persecution of Christians. CSW is encouraged by this development, which is further proof that lobbying at government and EU level, along with prayer, really makes a difference. The EU ‘Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the violation of religious freedom in Iran’ also reiterates the EU’s concerns for other religious minorities in Iran and for those being imprisoned on grounds of their faith.
19 March
Maryam and Marzieh appear in court and are sent to Evin Prison, even though they have not been charged with any crime. CSW believes that they have been detained because of their conversion from Islam to Christianity.
5 March
Two Iranian Christian women, Maryam Rostampour (27) and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad (30), have their apartments searched by Iranian security officers.
Their Bibles are confiscated along with many other items, and the women are arrested, interrogated, taken to a detention centre and subjected to sleep deprivation.
——-
November 18, 2009
RELEASED! Maryam and Marzieh set free after 259 days in prison
http://www.elam.com/articles/Released/
Praise the Lord! Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were released from Evin prison in Iran today, Wednesday November 18, 2009 at 3:30pm, without bail. However, they may yet have to face a court hearing and still need our prayers.
“Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release,» they said.
Maryam and Marzieh were arrested because of their Christian faith on March 5, 2009. Though their health has suffered greatly while in prison, they are doing as well as could be expected, and are rejoicing in the Lord’s faithfulness to them.
“Maryam and Marzieh have greatly inspired us all. Their love for the Lord Jesus and their faithfulness to God has been an amazing testimony,” says Sam Yeghnazar, Director of Elam Ministries.
We hope to share more details soon.
In the mean time, please pray:
- For their health to be fully restored.
- For their continued safety.
- For their full acquittal.
http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/iran/20888/
Two Iranian Christian Women Acquitted of all Charges
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| Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad | |
ISTANBUL, May 27 (CDN) — Nearly five months after releasing them from prison, an Iranian court has acquitted two women of all charges related to being Christians and engaging in Christian activities.
Iranians Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were arrested on March 5, 2009 and detained on charges of “acting against state security,” “taking part in illegal gatherings” and “apostasy” (leaving Islam) under Iran’s Revolutionary Court system.
After nearly eight months, on Nov. 18, 2009 authorities released them conditionally.
Although the court hearing their case originally set April 13 as their trial date, Compass was unable to confirm on what date the two women were acquitted, nor the conditions of their acquittal.
Senior Iranian judges and officials repeatedly intimidated the two women and pressured them to recant their faith, according to a press statement by Elam Ministries last week.
“They were warned that any future Christian activity in Iran will be seriously dealt with,” according to the statement.
Elam Ministries said the two women had fled Iran on Saturday (May 22) to an undisclosed location and were recovering.
Another Iranian convert who was forced to flee his country under similar circumstances years ago told Compass that he believed the intense lobbying efforts to release and acquit the women brought the government to an unspoken “standoff” with Christian rights groups outside the country.
“I think the court just made a political decision, ‘We will let you go, but we will not allow you to stay in the country,’” said the Iranian Christian, who requested anonymity. “That’s a pretty old-fashioned procedure they have – ‘We will let you go if you leave the country. You can have your faith, but not here.’”
In general, when Iranian authorities arrest Christians, they release them on bail within a few weeks and keep their case files open, thus applying soft pressure while allowing them to continue living in Iran. In cases where the government wants to remove Christians from the country because of their Christian activities, authorities have handed the Christians their passports and documents and told them to leave.
Iran’s government views all Christian activities as foreign intervention and thus a threat to national security. The two women’s families had hired a private lawyer.
Since their release, the young converts to Christianity had been waiting for a trial date and decision from an Iranian court to decide their fate as Christians living their faith. During this time, sources said that authorities watched them closely and that the two women were under “pressure” and received threatening phone calls.
“The government would not want them to stay in the country as heroes,” said the Iranian Christian. “It would be better for the government if they left Iran and didn’t become a positive example for the rest of the Christian community in Iran. Otherwise they would create a precedent of [Christians] who have not denied their faith, who have been acquitted and still live as Christians inside the country.”
The two women thanked Christians who have been praying for them, according to Elam.
“We hope to eventually share some of what the Lord allowed us to go through to highlight the need and the opportunity for the church in Iran, but right now we will take time to pray and seek the Lord for His will,” said Rostampour, according to Elam’s press statement.
Iran’s Constitution gives Christians “protected” religious minority status, but in practice they face substantial societal discrimination, according to the U.S. Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report 2009.
An article mandating death for apostates in accordance with sharia (Islamic law) reportedly has been stricken from a draft penal code, but experts on Iran say The Council of Guardians and Iran’s Supreme Leader still have the final say on who receives capital punishment for leaving Islam.
END
Themocracy
Μπήκε και στο μπλογκ του «Στόχου», χωρίς ούτε να βάλουν πηγή, ούτε να προσθέσουν ένα λινκ να στέλνει ο κόσμος μηνύματα διαμαρτυρίας για τις κοπέλες… Σα δε ντρεπόμαστε… Μάλιστα ένας λέει ότι η είδηση είναι ψεύτικη. Αν είχε το λινκ να δει τις ειδήσεις δεν θα το έγραφε αυτό! http://www.stoxos.gr/2009/09/blog-post_6393.html
ΚΑΛΗΣΠΕΡΑ!
ΝΕΟΤΕΡΑ ΠΟΥ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΜΑΘΟΥΜΕ; ΜΗΠΩΣ ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΤΕ ΤΙΠΟΤΑ;
Amartolos, έχουμε προσπαθήσει να επικοινωνήσουμε για να μάθουμε νέα αλλά δεν καταφέραμε τίποτα. Ίσως η πιο ενδεδειγμένη κίνηση θα ήταν να ρωτήσουμε στην Ιρανική πρεσβεία!
ΩΡΑΙΑ ΛΟΙΠΟΝ!
ΘΑ ΑΝΑΛΑΒΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ;
ΕΜΕΙΣ ΘΑ ΣΥΝΕΧΙΣΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΑΝΑΒΟΥΜΕ ΚΕΡΑΚΙ
ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΞ ΥΨΟΥΣ ΑΝΤΙΛΗΨΗ…
ΑΝ ΓΙΑ ΚΑΠΟΙΟ ΛΟΓΟ ΔΕΝ ΜΠΟΡΕΙΤΕ ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΩ ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΤΕ ΜΕ.
Release the two women! Stop this crime!
Είναι δυνατόν να πάθει η Μαρυάμ δηλητηρίαση και να μην αφήνουν να τη δει γιατρός; Πόσο τέρατα μπορεί να είναι αυτοί οι άνθρωποι! Κι αλήθεια από πού έπαθε τη δηλητηρίαση, αφού οι κρατούμενες τρώνε ό,τι τους σερβίρουν τα μαγειρεία της φυλακής; Μήπως πάνε να τις ξεκάνουν;
Iran Releases Christian Coverts But More Court Hearings Remain
November 18, 2009 12:09 p.m. EST
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017032203
Tejinder Singh – AHN Correspondent
Washington DC (AHN) – Maryam Rostampour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, two Christian converts from Islam, were released from Evin Prison in Tehran on Wednesday at 3:30 pm local time according to a statement from the International Christian Concern (ICC). Elam Ministries told ICC that Maryam, 27, and Marzieh, 30, were released without bail, but that they have yet to face another court hearing.
Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager of the Middle East, said, «We celebrate with Maryam and Marzieh, and with all Christians upon hearing the news of their release.»
«Yet, we continue to hold Iran accountable for having unjustly imprisoned and degraded two women who committed no crime.
Clay condemned Iran’s tactics of intimidation and harassment used to terrorize Christians throughout the country and called upon Tehran «to uphold religious freedom by allowing all Iranians to practice the religion of their choice, and to be allowed to worship freely without being threatened or discriminated against.» Originally arrested on March 5 by Iranian security forces, Maryam and Marzieh were charged with anti-government activities. Washington DC based ICC noted in its statement, «However, it became clear that apostasy (conversion from Islam to Christianity), not anti-state activities, was the reason for the arrest.» Maryam and Marzieh faced a Revolutionary Court on Aug. 9, and according to ICC, they were commanded to recant their faith, and in return, would be granted their freedom. «We will not deny our faith … if we come out of prison, we want to do so with honor,» the ICC quoted them as saying.
While detained at Evin Prison, which is notorious for its brutal conduct toward women, Maryam and Marzieh have been kept in solitary confinement and have endured extended interrogations, all the while suffering from poor health, Iran issued no statement explaining the verdict for Maryam and Marzieh’s release. However, the decision follows international pressure and prayers from Christians throughout the world. «Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release,» said Maryam and Marzieh. Although released, eight months of abuse and mistreatment by Iranian security forces have undoubtedly taken a toll on Maryam and Marzieh’s health. The ICC disclosed Marzieh has suffered intense headaches, toothaches, and spinal pain, while both women have been denied medical treatment.
[...] auf Mac OS X scheint es, dass Mac-Anwender auch in der Lage zu genieen uTorrent Mac OS X. …RELEASE MARYAM & MARZIEH! In the news/ÎηÎοÏÎ&…Sabatina fordert die sofortige Freilassung von Maryam und Marzieh! Deshalb haben Sabatina … gegen [...]