|PIC1|The US-based International Christian Concern said it has learned from Elam ministries in Iran Wednesday that Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were unexpectedly taken to appear before the court on Tuesday morning and were formally charged by the judge.

Elam is a ministry that specialises in serving the growing church in Iran.

However, in a positive development, the report said the judge had dropped the earlier charge of anti-state activities. Their case has now been transferred from the revolutionary court to the regular courts. The women and their lawyer are said to be pleased with this development.

The two converts were arrested on March 5 for leaving Islam and embracing Christianity. They were placed in solitary confinement in Evin prison, where they are reportedly deprived of medical attention and have often been blindfolded during interrogations lasting several hours prior to being charged this week.

Iranian officials had accused them of "anti-state activities" following their conversion from Islam to Christianity. After five months, they were tried on August 9 by the revolutionary court and ordered to recant their faith in Christ which they reportedly said they would never do. The women have remained in prison until their appearance again in court on Tuesday when they were finally charged.

Elam ministries said both of the women were in poor health. On October 4, Rustampoor suffered severe food poisoning and was given medical attention after much insistence.

In an interview with the Voice of America Persian News Network, Rustampoor and Amirizadeh’s lawyer said, “My clients are not prepared to lie about their faith under any condition.”

ICC has meanwhile welcomed the latest decision of the court not to charge them with anti-state activities.

“We welcome the move by the Iranian court to drop the charges of anti-state activities against Maryam and Marzieh. We urge Iranian officials to drop charges of apostasy and propagation of Christianity, as well,” said Jonathan Racho, ICC’s regional manager for Africa and the Middle East.

“As party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has an obligation to respect the right of Maryam and Marzieh to follow the religion of their choice,” he added.

ICC has requested Christians worldwide to “continue to pray for the release of the two converts and also for the “improvement of their health.”