Marziyeh Amirizadeh & Maryam Rostampour were born into Muslim families in Iran -- Maryam in the city of Kermanshah, and Marziyeh in Rafsanjan. They both became Christians as young adults and met while studying theology in Turkey in 2005. Deciding to work together, they returned to Iran and began sharing their faith. In 2009, Maryam and Marziyeh were arrested in Tehran for promoting Christianity -- a capital crime in Iran. The official charges against them were apostasy, anti-government activity, and blasphemy, for which they faced execution by hanging. They spent 259 days in Evin, perhaps the world's most notorious prison, as many around the world prayed for their release. Following international pressure and after months of interrogation and abuse, they were freed in November 2009 and subsequently cleared of all charges. They now live near Atlanta, Georgia.
