Lessons for lockdown: Ladan, Iran

When Ladan Nouri became a Christian, she found she couldn’t stop telling people about her faith. As a result, she quickly drew the attention of the Iranian authorities.

In 2010 Ladan was placed in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin prison. She had no idea how long she would be there – five years, ten years, even the rest of her life. 

“The prison walls became my Bible” 

Faced with complete isolation, Ladan stole a pen from her interrogator (“It wasn’t a good thing to do but it was really helpful for me!”) and wrote scripture on her cell wall. She found that God even brought to mind verses that she didn’t remember reading. 

I spoke to Ladan in May 2020, during lockdown in the UK, where she reflected on the differences between her incarceration and living on her own now in the UK. 

“I really want to encourage people in their home in isolation to worship, because with true worship we can feel God’s presence and we cannot say we are alone. If God was with me in that darkness, that solitary confinement, even in Evin Prison, he can easily be with us in our home.”

Watch the full interview here:

 Ladan works today with ELAM ministries [elam.com], whose vision is to strengthen and expand the Church in the Iran region.

Dave Mance is Head of Campaigns for CSW, he lives in Guildford with his wife, two kids, and three chickens.

CSW [csw.org.uk] is a Christian human rights organisation specialising in freedom of religion or belief.

Add your voice to our campaign for every child in Iran to have a fair education, regardless of their faith. [https://csw.e-activist.com/page/49628/petition/1]