Washington Turns Ghazal Marzban Case into Symbol of Christian Persecution
The case of Ghazal Marzban, an Iranian Catholic citizen sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for her Christian faith, has become the focus of the latest criticism from the U.S. State Department against the Islamic Republic. By condemning the suppression of religious minorities in Iran, Washington called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political and conscience prisoners, emphasizing that the Iranian government continues to target opponents and religious minorities through detention, torture, and deprivation of fundamental freedoms.
The U.S. State Department, in a statement, severely criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran for intensifying pressure on religious minorities, particularly Christians, and for widespread human rights violations. The statement, referencing the situation of Ghazal Marzban, a 42-year-old Iranian Catholic citizen currently held in Evin Prison, announced that she has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison solely for her Christian faith and activities, and has undertaken a hunger strike in protest of her detention conditions.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: “It is shameful that the Iranian government continues to persecute religious minorities, including Iranian Christians.”
The spokesperson also emphasized that the Iranian government does not recognize freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association, and uses arbitrary detention and torture to silence the voices of critics.
The Ghazal Marzban case has recently drawn the attention of international organizations defending religious freedom. According to published reports, her physical condition deteriorated during her hunger strike through late May, but since then, no clear information has been released about her health status. These concerns persist as human rights activists have repeatedly warned about the conditions of conscience prisoners in Evin Prison.
The U.S. State Department further called on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to immediately and unconditionally release all individuals unjustly detained for political, civil, or ideological activities. The department also emphasized that the United States will maintain its “unwavering solidarity” with the Iranian people and supports the right to freedom of conscience and religion for all Iranian citizens.
Washington’s statements were issued at a time when annual reports from human rights organizations and religious freedom advocates have identified the Islamic Republic as one of the world’s major violators of religious freedom. The detention of Christian citizens, the issuance of harsh sentences for religious activists, the closure of Persian-speaking churches, and pressure on religious minorities are among the issues repeatedly raised in international reports on Iran’s situation.
The Ghazal Marzban case has now become an example of a policy that critics of the Islamic Republic see as the use of the judicial system to suppress political and ideological opponents—a policy that has subjected not only civil and political activists, but also citizens who have merely distanced themselves from the government’s official narrative due to their religious beliefs, to detention, harsh sentences, and deprivation of basic rights.
