05/10/2018 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Evin Prison is known by many names: the regime’s torture factory, the black hole of evil, Iran’s most notorious jail, to name a few. According to research by International Christian Concern (ICC), it is the preferred prison for Christians who are jailed because of their faith. Those believers who have completed their sentences in prison have shared chilling reports of their experiences.

Maryam Rostampour is a Christian convert who was imprisoned in Evin for eight months. She recently shared with World Watch Monitor, “One day is like a year, some days you can’t breathe because you don’t know what’s going to happen to you the next day…When people experience living in Evin Prison, they will never be the same again. The stress is too much. We can’t be the same people. We can’t be as happy as before. We don’t enjoy activities like normal people because all the time we think of those who are still there.”

ICC has documented at least 11 believers who are currently reported imprisoned inside Evin. One of the more recent prisoners is Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh, a convert from Islam who was arrested nearly two years ago. Dr. Hormoz Shariat, president and founder of Iran Alive Ministries, said “He was arrested with several Azerbaijani Christians who were a part of a mission organization. The government wants to publicize this case to warn other Iranians that if you work with outside organizations, we will be tough on you.”

After his arrest, media reports indicated that Nasser and the Azerbaijanis were kept in solitary confinement and that they were continuously interrogated. Four months later, they were released after paying a hefty bail of €29,000 (approximately $34,000 USD) each. The Azerbaijanis were allowed to return home, although the case pending against the four men continued. A year after his arrest, Nasser finally received his sentence: 10 years in prison for “acting against national security through the formation and establishment of an illegal church organization in his home.”

“My client has not broken any of the criminal code and is not guilty of his charges,” said Hossein Ahmadi Niaz, Nasser’s lawyer. “All other Christians arrested with him also confirmed all of their meetings were strictly focused on their faith and worship and nothing else.”