Christian convert Ghazal Marzban sentenced to more than 9 years in prison
Hengaw – Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Ghazal Marzban Jourshari, a Gilak Christian convert, former law student, and prisoner of conscience held in Evin Prison, has been sentenced by the Tehran Revolutionary Court to 9 years and 8 months in prison in a new judicial case against her.
According to information received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the sentence was recently issued by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Iman Afshari, and formally communicated to Marzban inside prison.
She was convicted on charges including “propaganda against the state” and “assembly and collusion with the intent to disrupt national security.”
Marzban, 42, is originally from the Lasht-e Nesha district of Rasht County and lives in Tehran. Over the years, she has repeatedly faced pressure, arrest, and prosecution because of her conversion to Catholic Christianity and her religious activities.
Iranian security forces last arrested her on January 15, 2026, after raiding her home in Tehran. She was subsequently transferred to the women’s ward of Evin Prison to serve her sentence.
She had previously been detained in November 2024 and later sentenced by the same court branch to imprisonment and 74 lashes on charges including “failure to observe mandatory hijab” and “propaganda against the state.” During that arrest, Marzban sustained serious rib injuries as a result of violence used by security forces.
In January 2025, she went on a week-long hunger strike to protest her conditions and the prolonged uncertainty surrounding her case.
Reports also indicate that Marzban and her husband have for years faced systematic restrictions and obstruction by state institutions because of their religious beliefs and conversion to Christianity. The pressure reportedly extended to difficulties obtaining essential medication for her husband’s Parkinson’s disease.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights considers the prosecution of religious dissidents a clear example of ideological inquisition and a serious violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
