Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh were both born to Muslim families in Iran, they became followers of Jesus, and went to study Christian theology in Turkey where they met. Deciding to join forces, Rostampour and Amirizadeh returned to Iran and began sharing their faith, giving out Bibles and leading house churches. In 2009, they were arrested in Tehran for promoting Christianity and they were imprisoned in notorious Evin Prison where they were subject to eight months of abuse and interrogation. Although sentenced to death, many around the world prayed for their release and those prayers were answered when they were freed in November 2009. They both emigrated to the United States and wrote Captive in Iran: A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison (2013) to share their story. They continue to bring awareness about ongoing human rights violations and the persecution of religious minorities in Iran. Entering the same fields of study, both Amirizadeh and Rostampour completed their Masters in International Affairs (Georgia Tech) in 2019. LinkedIn: Rostampour. Twitter: @MRostampour. LinkedIn: Amirizadeh. Twitter: @MAmirizadeh.
