Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian-American author whose imprisonment in Iran's Evin Prison attracted international attention and concern.^[1] In 2009, Amirizadeh and Maryam Rostampour were sentenced to execution by hanging for converting to Christianity in Iran.^[2][3][4] They were detained in the notorious Evin Prison for 259 days^[5][6][7] where they were tortured and interrogated.^[8]

Marziyeh Amirizadeh
Born	November 25, 1978 Rafsanjan, Iran
Education	Master of Science in International Affairs
Alma mater	Georgia Institute of Technology
Occupation(s)	Author, international speaker, activist
Known for	Sole-author of “A Love Journey with God” and co-author of “Captive in Iran”

After gaining freedom, Amirizadeh and Rostampour wrote Captive in Iran which detailed their experiences.^[6][9]

Amirizadeh became an American citizen in 2016 and campaigned in the 2022 Georgia House of Representatives election as a Republican.^[10][11] In 2022, she also completed her second book, A Love Journey with God, ISBN 979-8985463170, OCLC 1380933347, which details her difficult upbringing and journey to Christianity as well as further details of her imprisonment in Iran.^[12][13]

Amirizadeh is currently the president of New Persia which is a non-profit organisation which advocates on behalf of persecuted Christians and women who are oppressed under deep-seated misogyny.^[14]

Early Life and Conversion

Amirizadeh was born in the southern province of Kerman, Iran. In her early adulthood, she converted to Christianity, a decision that led her to engage in distributing Bibles, and whose conversion to Christianity was considered apostasy, a capital crime under Iranian Islamic law.^[15][16][17]

Arrest and Imprisonment

On March 5, 2009, Marziyeh Amirizadeh, along with her co-religionist Maryam Rostampour, was arrested on multiple charges including apostasy, blasphemy, anti-government activities, promoting Christianity, acting against state security, and participating in illegal gatherings. This arrest marked the beginning of a tumultuous period of imprisonment, during which Amirizadeh faced threats of torture, unsanitary living conditions, discriminatory treatment due to her faith, and execution by hanging.^{[17][18][19][20]} Her experiences during this time were detailed in her book "Captive in Iran," co-authored with Maryam Rostampour.

Despite the hardships endured during her 259-day imprisonment, which included periods of solitary confinement and interrogations aimed at renouncing her faith, Amirizadeh was eventually released^[21] following international pressure on the Iranian regime from entities such as the Vatican, the US State Department, and the United Nations.^[22]

Emigration to the United States

After her release, Amirizadeh moved to Turkey, where she applied for asylum in the United States. In 2011, her asylum application was approved, and she began a new chapter of her life in America. Over the years, she became a US citizen in 2016 and pursued higher education, earning a Master of Science in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 2019.^[12][17][23]

Career and Advocacy

Marziyeh Amirizadeh is known for her advocacy work on behalf of the people of Iran, particularly focusing on issues of religious freedom, human rights, and justice. She has travelled extensively, sharing her story and raising awareness about the challenges faced by individuals in Iran. She is also a staunch advocate for restoration of relations between Iran and Israel, widely sharing with Israelis that the Iranian people and the Israeli people face the same common enemy: the Iranian Islamic regime.^[23]

In addition to her public speaking engagements, Amirizadeh is an accomplished author, having written two books. Her first book, "Captive in Iran,"^[16][24] co-written with Maryam Rostampour, chronicles her experiences of imprisonment and persecution in Iran. Her second book, "A Love Journey with God,"^[16][25] published in 2022, delves into her upbringing, conversion to Christianity, and the challenges she faced both in Iran and during her journey to the United States.

Political Engagement

In 2022, Marziyeh Amirizadeh ran for election in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Republican, further extending her commitment to public service and advocacy for causes she believes in.^[26]

Marziyeh Amirizadeh continues to be a voice for those facing oppression and injustice, using her platform to promote dialogue, understanding, and positive change in her communities and beyond.