Maryam Naghash Zargaran
Photo: Open Doors
Friends and family of Maryam Naghash Zargaran, a believer who has been imprisoned in Iran for almost three years, are relieved over the recent news of her temporary release so she can receive the urgent medical care she needs.
Maryam's condition had deteriorated even more since she began a hunger strike on May 27th to protest the lack of adequate medical treatment in prison. Along with a history of heart problems, she has also been suffering from severe headaches, nausea, and pain in her ears.
Although prison authorities recognized the severity of her condition and the need for treatment, the prosecutor's office had previously refused to allow her leave from prison for required medical care at a hospital. It has been reported that fellow prisoners in her ward at Evin prison in Tehran showed their support for Maryam by forgoing their family visits on May 29th as a form of protest.
Maryam is a believer from a Muslim background. In 2013, the young Christian woman was sentenced to four years in prison after being arrested in connection with her work at a Christian orphanage and charged with "acting against national security." Her lawyer's request for a retrial was refused. For other prayer alert reports, as well as informative video documentaries, go to the Iran Country Report.
We join Maryam's friends and family in a prayer of thanksgiving that she has finally been granted leave from prison and allowed to go to hospital for proper treatment. Ask the Lord to work through this medical care, restoring her to good health and well-being. May it also be made possible for her to be freed from serving the full prison term so she can fully recover. In the interim, we pray that the authorities and other prisoners will act kindly towards Maryam and each other...and that the light of Christ will permeate every part of Evin prison.
Designation
