With deaths due to the coronavirus increasing in Iran, more than 100,000 prisoners have been released to limit those infected by the virus. Only six Christians were among those released.

According to the official coronavirus death toll, 200 have died from the virus in Iran, though critics say many more have died, Mission Network News (MNN) reports.

Despite few believers being released from prison, one who was released, Mary Mohammadi, is a very active and outspoken Christian.

Daniel Hoffman from Middle East Concern says Mohammadi, 21, is "active in a movement that tries to get official recognition or Iranians who converted to Christianity."

Most of these, Hoffman says, are based outside Iran, but Mohammadi is one of the few who is involved publicly with the movement inside Iran.

She was arrested in January 202 during Tehran protests. A convert and social activist, Mohammadi was held without access to family or lawyers and beaten, Hoffman says.

"She was humiliated in the way that she was processed by the authorities."

Mohammadi was released by authorities at the end of February on more than $2,000 US bail. Her hearing was postponed last week due to COVID-19, but while no new hearing date has been set, she has been charged with "acting against the regime," Hoffman says.

"She's not the only one who's in prison or before a court at the moment ... but I think they're definitely trying to scare her into toning down her activities."

Mohammadi is being called a sign of hope in the midst of the growing COVID-19 worry in Iran.

MNN says Iranian officials have minimized their reporting on the extent of the impact of the coronavirus in the country.

Government health officials in Iran announced 49 new deaths related to COVID-19 Sunday. The number of infections in the country rose to 6,566 and the death toll, with these additions, rose to 194. Only a day later, 237 had reportedly died and 7,161 were reported sick.

Reza Sayah of FRANCE 24 has reported schools and universities in Iran have been closed until early April.