On August 9, two Iranian Christians who were arrested by security forces in early March (read the story) attended a hearing before the revolutionary court in Tehran. According to an August 9 report from Elam Ministries, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad (30) and Maryam Rustampoor (27) were questioned by the deputy prosecutor about their faith and told that they had to recant in both verbal and written form. They responded, "We will not deny our faith." Although a verdict of apostasy had been recommended by the chief interrogator, no verdict was given. At the end of the hearing, the deputy prosecutor ordered that they return to prison and come back to the court when they are ready to recant their faith. Both Esmaeilabad and Rustampoor are reportedly in severely ill health and have lost an extreme amount of weight. They have spent long periods of time in solitary confinement, have been subjected to harsh interrogation and, more recently, have been detained in an over-crowded cell.

For a full report on the testimony these women shared in court, please click here. To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Iran, click here.