martyrs

One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom.

“Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr.”

(by extension) One who sacrifices his or her life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.

(with a prepositional phrase of cause) One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily.

“Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.”

To make someone into a martyr by putting him or her to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.

To persecute.

“Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.”

To torment; to torture.

“The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart”