The U.S. State Department has condemned Iran’s intensified repression of Christians, including a Catholic woman on hunger strike in a prison known for its brutal conditions. The statement comes amid broader U.S. actions against Iran in response to attacks on commercial tankers.
Ghazal Marzban, 42, is reportedly serving nearly 10 years in Tehran's Evin prison for practicing her Christian faith, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Marzban’s physical health had deteriorated by late May, though her current condition is unknown. She was a law graduate who was banned from taking her bar entry examination after her conversion. Her husband, who also converted, has reportedly been denied medication for Parkinson's disease.
A State Department spokesperson stated, "We are aware of these reports. It is reprehensible that the Iranian regime continues to persecute religious minorities, including Iranian Christians." The spokesperson added that in Iran, "human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and religion or belief, are completely ignored. The regime targets members of religious and ethnic minority groups and uses tactics like arbitrary arrest and torture to intimidate opponents and silence dissent."
The U.S. reaffirmed its "unwavering solidarity with the people of Iran and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political and wrongfully detained prisoners, including those facing persecution for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms."
Experts on Iran note a surge in arrests of Christians, jumping from 139 in 2024 to 254 in 2025, with an increasing number of individuals receiving sentences of over a decade. The Islamic Republic views conversion as a security threat, reportedly referring to evangelical Christians as "neutralized elements" following recent events.
Further compounding concerns, authorities reportedly plan to seize St. Peter's Church in Tehran. This action involves the eviction of approximately 20 Armenian and Assyrian families from the church compound, which includes schools and residences, under a Revolutionary Court order. This move is seen by critics as a clear message of intimidation to the broader Christian community. St. Peter's is one of Iran’s historic Protestant churches, and its threatened confiscation is viewed not as a property dispute but as part of a long-standing pattern of pressure on Christian communities, including recognized historic churches, Protestant communities, converts, and Catholic converts.
Organizations monitoring religious freedom in Iran have documented numerous cases since 2008 involving arbitrary arrests of Catholic converts, harassment of church leaders, visa denials for clergy, revocation of citizenship for a bishop, and the confiscation and demolition of church property. The targeting of Christians, viewed by the founders of the Islamic Republic as an ideological threat, dates back to the earliest days of the revolution, with incidents including the murder of an Anglican priest and the expulsion of foreign missionaries within the first year.