My Story
Marziyeh Amirizadeh (Marzi) is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being arrested and sentenced to death by hanging in Iran for the “crime” of converting to Christianity. She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation in Evin prison- one of the most brutal prisons in the world.
In 1999, through the grace of God, Marzi became a Christian despite growing up under the authoritarian Islamic regime where children were indoctrinated in radical Islam by the Islamic Republic regime. After becoming a Christian, Marzi shared her Christian faith regularly among fellow Iranians by distributing thousands of Bibles and running a few underground Iranian churches and having countless individual conversations about Jesus.
In 2009, she was arrested and sentenced to death by hanging in Tehran for the charges of apostasy, blasphemy, promoting Christianity, and anti-government activities. Finally, under pressure from international human rights and Christian organizations, the Iranian government released Marzi and she emigrated to the United States. Marzi moved to Atlanta and enrolled at Georgia Tech University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree and Master of Science degree in International Affairs.
Marzi is a published author, public speaker, columnist, and activist for religious freedom. Her first book, Captive in Iran, (co-authored with Maryam Rostampour) recounts her capture and imprisonment and was published in April 2013. Her second book, A Love Journey with God, recounts how Marzi found God, the struggles she experienced as a Christian woman in a misogynist Islamic Country, and how God can turn any situation into triumph, was published in 2022. Marzi became an American citizen in 2016 and campaigned in the 2022 Georgia House of Representatives election as a Republican in a long-time Democratic district.
She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran. She has discussed human rights issues and religious persecution in the Middle East with international NGO activists and key policymakers, including Senators and Members of Congress, the U.S. Ambassadors for International Religious Freedom, the US Department of State in front of an international group of world leaders, UK Members of Parliament and diplomats, and officials in other countries to urge them to act on behalf of people under persecution and suppressed by tyrannical governments.
She has been Interviewed in the media countless times with prominent personalities and outlets such as Bill O Reilly, Fox & Friends, Mike Huckabee Show, The Times of London, CBN News, CBN Israel, TBN, NRATV, Sean Hannity (Radio), Moody Radio, ACLI, Atlanta 57, Vision Radio Network (Australia), Record InFocus TV (Australia), Hudson Institute, i24, Inspiration from Zion, and more. She has written articles that have been widely published including in Townhall.com, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, All Israel News, NED, and other international platforms.