Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh, who had been on hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison for 35 days to protest against the continued systematic persecution of Christians in Iran, has suffered a stroke. On 17 March the 63-year-old Christian convert was found unconscious in his prison cell in Ward 209, where he was kept in solitary confinement. He was immediately transferred to the nearby Bani-Hashem hospital where he was treated and given a range of exercises to help him seek to regain movement in the left-hand side of his body. Despite his poor physical condition Naser was discharged from hospital after two days and returned to Evin Prison, this time into the general ward. He continues to have limited movement in his left side, but has ended his hunger strike.

Naser made it clear the goal of his hunger strike was not to protest his personal circumstances or his own legal case, but rather in solidarity with all the other Christian converts who have been persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned in Iran. He quoted the words of Jesus from John 15:13 as his motivation for the hunger strike: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Naser previously spent nearly five years in Evin Prison until he was pardoned and released in October 2022. On 6 February 2025 he was rearrested in his home in the Tehran region and taken back to Evin Prison. Armenian-Iranian house church leader Joseph Shahbazian was re-arrested on the same day and also remains in Evin Prison. He had been released from Evin Prison in September 2023 after serving just over a year of his ten-year-sentence.

The hope that both Christian men would be released in time for Nowruz, the Iranian two-week long New Year celebration, which began on 20 March, has not been fulfilled. Joseph and Naser have not yet had any official charges brought against them, but they have been told a bail has been set for their release. They are due to appear in court, where they will be informed of their charges and permitted to provide their defence.

According to Article18 there are also concerns over the situation of two Christian women, who were arrested on the same day as Naser and Joseph.  One of the women, who can only be named as “Aida”, is said to be in Evin Prison in the women’s ward.

Read Naser Navar Gol-Tapeh’s Prisoner Profile

(Article18)

Photo Credit: Article18