Female Christian leader jailed in Iran is 'one step from death', reports Pastor Saeed Abedini
Maryam (Nasim) Naghash Zargaran, the jailed Christian woman in Iran's Evin prison who went on hunger strike on May 25 as protest to the medical treatment authorities withheld from her, has been temporarily discharged on health grounds Monday, June 6. However, Pastor Saeed Abedini says that she already looks like "one step from death."
"Bail was put up for Nasim and she is now home. I got to talk to her," the pastor, who has a Muslim background, wrote on Facebook that same day to share the update on Zargaran.
"I think they allowed this to shut down the news. I saw her, and she looks like she is just one step from death," Abedini added.
The pastor also reported that Zargaran is currently staying with her sister-in-law who's also a doctor. He also shared his thoughts that Zargaran may be back in prison in just a week or so.
Zargaran, whom Abedini referred to in a previous Facebook post as the first underground female leader in Saeed Ministries, was one of those who had stood up for the pastor and their Christian faith against authorities until they were held up in prison. The pastor himself had spent time in Evin prison until he was freed through a prisoner exchange in January.
Abedini continued to share updates on Zargaran's condition. In another post he described the severity of her weakness.
"The whites of her eyes have turned to yellow and her blood pressure is very low. She is in extreme pain, especially in her legs, which is like torture," the pastor wrote.
Abedini reported how Zargaran lost so much weight and much of her hair that even her sister wasn't able to recognize her anymore. Two other prisoners had to assist Zargaran as she could no longer walk on her own. Abedini also noticed that her memory is now lost as she's no longer able to remember conversations for more than five minutes. She's bedridden yet can't sleep at night and can't manage to sit down even for five minutes and mostly just passing in and out of consciousness.
Zargaran's hunger strike lasted for 13 days wherein guards and authorities pushed her to eat in an attempt to stifle the news about her situation.
