Health of Hunger Striking Christian Convert Prisoner of Conscience in Danger

Maryam (also known as Nasim) Naghash-Zargaran, 38, converted to Christianity from Islam 14 years ago. From 2012 she has been regularly summoned by Iranian authorities for interrogations. On October 31 2012 she was summoned to Vozara, a detention centre in Tehran that is operated by police forces. She was reportedly held at this detention centre for several days and was treated very poorly. On November 12 2012 she was transferred to Tehran's Evin Prison and held there for nine days until she was released on bail. On March 9 2013, Branch 28 of Tehran's revolutionary court, presided by Judge Moghiseh, sentenced her to four years in prison for "Acting against national security through assembly and collusion". Ms. Naghash-Zargaran's four-year imprisonment sentence was upheld by Branch 36 of Tehran's appeals court, presided by Judge Zargar.

Based on official documents obtained by Iran Human Rights regarding Ms. Naghash-Zargaran's case file, the following are the accusations used against her in court to justify the prison sentence: conversion from Islam to Christianity, setting up a church in the home, preaching Christianity and having connections with Elam.com, a nonprofit Christian association.

Ms. Naghash-Zargaran has been in prison since her arrest on July 15 2013. On May 26 2016, she launched her first hunger strike to protest against lack of medical care. She ended her hunger strike on the twelfth day after being released from prison on temporary leave. She was eventually sent back to Evin Prison where she has been on hunger strike since July 5th.

Ms. Naghash-Zargaran suffers from Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and underwent an open heart surgery several years prior to her imprisonment. She requires constant medical care that is being denied to her by Iranian authorities. One of her relatives tells Iran Human Rights: "Because of her imprisonment Maryam now also suffers from major depression, arthritis, cervical and lumbar disc, numbness in her hands and feet and severe dizziness; which has resulted her in falling to the floor several times. She also suffers from a problem in her ear that doctors have said if she doesn't receive the proper medical care for, she may have to undergo surgery."

According to the relative, Ms. Naghash-Zargaran's blood pressure dropped so low on Monday July 24th that she was transferred to the prison's clinic and she was injected with serum. "This is the the third time in 22 days that Maryam was transferred to the prison's clinic," says the relative.

Iran Human Rights strongly condemns the arrest and imprisonment of Maryam Naghash-Zargaran and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. "Arresting individuals solely for converting or preaching their religion is a human rights violation. Iranian authorities should not delay releasing prisoner of conscience Maryam Naghash-Zargaran," says Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson for Iran Human Rights.