Imprisoned Iranian Christian convert in need of 'urgent' medical care

Iranian Christian convert Maryam Naghash Zargaran, who is currently incarcerated in the women's ward of Evin Detention Centre in Tehran, is in need of urgent medical care after suffering from severe weight loss.

Zargaran, who was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in connection with her work at an orphanage with pastor Saeed Abedini, is suffering from multiple health issues, including ASD hole-in-the-heart disease, "drastic" weight loss, weakness, depression, and trauma.

According to Mohabat News, Zargaran's health deteriorated last week and she is in urgent need of medical care by specialists.

Zargaran has engaged in several hunger strikes to protest the denial of her access to medical treatment. Last August, she was allowed to leave prison for a medical leave, but she was ordered to return before the completion of her treatment.

When she returned to prison in December, she was informed that her sentence had been extended by 42 days to make up for the time she went on medical leave.

Zargaran's case was highlighted in Amnesty International's July 2016 report titled "Iran: Health taken hostage: Cruel denial of medical care in Iran's prisons."

The report noted that Zargaran recounted an incident when "the prison doctor had harassed her and sworn at her the [first] time she was on a hunger strike and accused her of 'lying'" about it.

Amnesty International further noted that Zargaran's heart problem, known as atrial septal defect (ASD), required ongoing monitoring and follow-up checkups with a cardiologist, but she did not have regular access to such care since her imprisonment in 2013.

Zargaran's incarceration has also taken a toll on her mother, who is diagnosed with "brain illness" due to the stress caused by her frequent visits to government prosecutors to inquire about her daughter's case.

According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's report in April 2016, Zargaran is one of about 90 Christians who are "in prison, detained or awaiting trial because of their religious beliefs and activities."

Henriette Kats, an analyst from the advocacy group Open Doors, noted that the Iranian regime has "intensified its campaign to remove Farsi-speaking [Persian-speaking] Christians from the country."

"During past years, many churches have been shut down, confiscated or forced to cancel their church services in Farsi. Their leaders were also often arrested. Congregations who still gather in churches are not allowed to accept new members with a Muslim background and their current members are aging," she added.

Iran is currently ranked on the Open Doors World Watch List as the fifth most difficult country to live in as a Christian.