Iranian Christian Converts Acquitted of Charges - May 31, 2010

Maryam Rostompour and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad were born into Muslim families in Iran, but became Christians as young women, and have paid a high price for their conversion and subsequent walk with Jesus Christ.  They received some good news this past Thursday when they were acquitted of charges against them.

The two women were arrested on March 5, 2009 and charged with “acting against state security”, taking part in illegal activities” and “apostasy.”  In other words, they were charged with converting to Christianity and taking part in Christian activities.  While the death penalty for apostasy has apparently been stricken from a draft penal code, experts on Iran say that the Council of Guardians and Iran’s Supreme Leader can still give the death penalty should they so choose.

On November 18, 2009, the two women were conditionally released from prison.  Prior to their release, the women were repeatedly intimidated by senior Iranian judges and officials in an attempt to get them to recant their faith.  According to a statement by Elam Ministries, “they were warned that any future Christian activity in Iran will be seriously dealt with.”  The statement went on to say that the women fled Iran on May 22 and are recovering in an undisclosed location.

An intense lobbying effort by Christian groups outside of Iran put pressure on the government to release the women.  However, the government couldn’t be seen as bowing to such pressure by letting the women remain in Iran following their acquittal.  An Iranian Christian who had faced similar circumstances years ago told Compass News that the court made a political decision.  The government’s decision was “‘We will let you go, but we will not allow you to stay in the country. 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.’”

It is likely that the government gave the women their passports and told them to leave the country.  “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.”

Through the Elam Ministry’s statement, the two women thanked Christians who had been praying for them. “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.

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