Youcef Nadarkhani

Extra Bio Info:

Youcef Nadarkhani was imprisoned for practicing his religion as a convert. 

On May 13, 2016, intelligence officials in Rasht detained Nadarkhani, a member of the Church of Iran and pastor of a 400-member house-church, and his wife while they were attending a private Christian ceremony.  They were later released that same day. 

On July 24, 2016, Nadarkhani was summoned before the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht and charged with “acting against national security” by “promoting Zionist Christianity.” Nadarkhani posted bail.

In December 2016 and February and June 2017, Branch 26 of Revolutionary Court in Tehran held hearings. During the June hearing, presiding Judge Mashallah Ahmadzadeh reportedly accused Nadarkhani's church of annually receiving 500,000 pounds from the British government. In addition, non-presiding Judge Abolghasem Salavati reportedly disrupted the proceedings by bursting into the courtroom and proclaiming that Christians “make foolish claims.”

On July 6, 2017, the court found Nadarkhani guilty of “acting against national security” by “promoting Zionist Christianity” and sentenced him and his codefendants to ten years in prison. It also sentenced Mr. Nadarkhani to two years in exile in Nik Shahr, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran.

On May 2, 2018, the Supreme Court affirmed Nadarkhani and his codefendants' sentences. 

On July 22, 2018, plain clothes authorities raided Nadarkhani’s home and took him to the notorious Evin Prison. Authorities reportedly beat Nadarkhani and attacked his son with a taser during the raid.

Starting in September 2019, Nadarkhani went on a three-week hunger strike to protest educational authorities’ punishment of his children for not participating in Islamic studies, despite a court order condoning their non-participation.

On June 22, 2020, Nadarkhani was resentenced to six years in prison following a retrial.

In February 2021, Nadarkhani reportedly fell ill following a suspected COVID-19 outbreak within Evin Prison.

On February 18, 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released an opinion on Nadarkhani's imprisonment, calling for his immediate release. 

In April 2022, Nadarkhani was granted a short, temporary leave from prison. Afterwards, he returned to prison.

On February 26, 2023, Nadarkhani was reportedly released from prison.

In July 2023, a court reportedly levelled new charges against Nadarkhani for undermining state security. 

Nadarkhani was subjected to inhumane living conditions and solitary confinement while imprisoned. 

Nadarkhani is married with children.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) advocated for Nadarkhani as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project. 

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Nadarkhani was previously arrested in relation to his religious activity and belief. 

In December 2006, authorities detained Nadarkhani and charged him with “apostasy” and “evangelism.” They released him two weeks later.

On October 13, 2009, while applying to register his church, Nadarkhani again was arrested for protesting a government policy that required all students, including his two sons, to study the Qur’an in school. The charges against Pastor Nadarkhani for protesting government education policy were amended to “apostasy” and “evangelism,” the same charges for which he initially was arrested in 2006.

On September 22, 2010, Branch 11 of the Gilan Court of Appeals verbally issued him a death sentence for apostasy. Security officials reportedly delayed the delivery of Nadarkhani’s written verdict and gave him several opportunities to convert to Islam. 

On November 13, 2010, officials of the Revolutionary Tribunal formally delivered the written verdict from the September 2010 trial.

In September 2011, the courts once more determined that Nadarkhani had committed apostasy due to being born to Muslim parents and leaving Islam after the legal age of maturity.

On September 8, 2012, amid continuing international outcry, Iranian courts acquitted Nadarkhani of apostasy in a retrial and rescinded the death penalty, allowing him to leave prison. While the court found him guilty of “evangelizing Muslims,” it credited him with prison time he had already served and released him on bail.

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