Nayerah. Iranian prisoner of faith.

NAYEREH ARJANEH​

IRAN​

On July 7, 2025 Nayereh Arjaneh and her husband Qasem Esmaili were arrested at their home for attending a Christian seminar in Turkey. She was initially released on bail and later convicted of “promoting deviant propaganda and teachings contrary to Islamic law” and “providing financial and material support to groups affiliated with Zionist Christianity.”

Nayereh received five years in prison for each offense, plus two years internal exile in Kerman province and a two year travel ban. She is serving both sentences concurrently. Her husband received a prison sentence of three years and six months but has been given permission to delay his prison term as he is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Nayereh began serving her 10-year sentence in December 2025.

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SAMPLE LETTERS TO PRISONERS


Please DO
Write in English and write as neatly as you are able to. Your letter must be legible to be translated (Many people study English, so there will often be someone to translate your letter).

• Express your Christian love and tell them that you are praying for them (then do!) They, in turn, will be praying for you!
• Keep your letter brief and loving – one page is enough.
• Include Bible verses.
• Hand write the address on envelopes accurately and mark it AIRMAIL; make sure the postage is correct.
• You may include a snapshot of yourself, your family or your prayer group if you want to make your letter even more personal and special.

Please DON'T
Do not write about politics or criticise the government.

• Never mention the source of your information or the name of any organisation such as Voice of the Martyrs. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from an individual, but if an organisation is mentioned, they may be accused of links with “foreign organisations” and receive even harsher sentences.
• Use words that might imply some kind of hidden activity e.g. “thank you for the Christian work that you have done in Vietnam” might imply that the prisoner had done some covert work for a foreign organisation to subvert the government.
• Build up hopes and expectations of prisoners – and likewise, don’t make any offer of help unless you intend to act on it!
• Use religious jargon, sermonize, or be presumptuous about the prisoner’s situation, needs or feelings.
• Quote verses which refer to war, fighting, armour, weapons (eg ‘the sword of the spirit’, ‘fighting the good fight of faith’, ‘the armour of God’ etc).

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