Caption
President Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026. (Getty Images)
09 - 29
April 2013 - November 1914
Past Event
Captive in Iran
Captive in Iran
Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
April 09 - November 29, 1914
Share:
09 - 29
April 2013 - November 1914
Past Event
1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Speakers:
In 2009, two women were arrested in Iran on charges of apostasy, anti-government activity, and blasphemy, for which they were sentenced to execution by hanging. Imprisoned in the notoriously brutal Evin prison, they were repeatedly threatened with death and torture. Nine months later, following an international outcry, Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh were finally released and cleared of all charges. After their release, they immigrated to the United States and now live in the state of Georgia. On April 9, 2013, the Center for Religious Freedom hosted a discussion with these two women, the authors of Captive in Iran.
Iran's Islamic laws forbid sharing Christian beliefs, and Maryam and Marziyeh knew they were putting their lives on the line by becoming Christian missionaries. Born into Muslim families, they had both converted to Christianity and went to Turkey to study Christian theology, where they met. After returning to Iran, they joined forces and began covertly handing out Farsi copies of the New Testament to 20,000 of their countrymen. From their apartment, they led two secret house churches, one for young people and one for prostitutes to worship. They continued evangelizing as detainees inside Evin prison.
Captive in Iran is a memoir of their experience in Iran's underground Christian movement.
Related Events
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How to Transform the Japan Self-Defense Force for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence
Featured Speakers:
David Byrd
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Masashi Murano
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How to Transform the Japan Self-Defense Force for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence
Join report authors Bryan Clark and David Byrd, in conversation with Masashi Murano, for a discussion of the report's principal findings and their implications for how Japan should design and resource its future defense force.
Featured Speakers:
David Byrd
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Masashi Murano
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Steven Quay
Senator Roger Marshall
David Asher
15
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic
Join Hudson as David Asher sits down with Dr. Quay for a fireside chat. Senator Roger Marshall, who has been a leading voice for stronger oversight of high-risk biological research, will open the program by framing the stakes for Congress, national security, and public health.
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Steven Quay
Senator Roger Marshall
David Asher
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future
Featured Speakers:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Brandon Williams
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future
Join Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Brandon Williams for a discussion on the administration's priorities in strengthening the US nuclear enterprise.
Featured Speakers:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Brandon Williams
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Advancing American Interests through Trade, Investment, and Commercial Diplomacy: A Conversation with Under Secretary of Commerce William Kimmitt
Featured Speakers:
David Feith
William Kimmitt
Joel Scanlon
18
June 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Advancing American Interests through Trade, Investment, and Commercial Diplomacy: A Conversation with Under Secretary of Commerce William Kimmitt
Join Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt for a discussion with Senior Fellow David Feith on how the Trump administration’s trade and investment strategy is reshaping economic partnerships with allies across areas like industrial policy, digital services, and strategic competition.
Featured Speakers:
David Feith
William Kimmitt
Joel Scanlon
Related Research
Caption
Pro-democracy activists line up outside the West Kowloon court as they hold a banner that reads, “Release all political prisoners,” on March 1, 2021, in Hong Kong, China. (Getty Images)
Caption
A Beijing demonstrator blocks the path of a tank convoy along the Avenue of Eternal Peace near Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. (Getty Images)
Caption
People gather in front of the Chinese consulate general to protest the unjust conviction of media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai on February 14, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)