Published on: 10 November 2023
BACKGROUND SUMMARY
After almost 14 years of praying for the freedom of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, we can share the good news that he was released from Evin Prison in Iran in February 2023 and is once again free.
Pastor Nadarkhani, a church leader in the Church of Iran denomination, was among three Christian converts, including Hadi Rahimi and Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie, who were pardoned in Iran’s annual amnesty which government officials use to mark the anniversary of their 1979 revolution.
In Iran, apostasy is illegal and punishable by law. Nadarkhani, once sentenced to death for the crime of converting to Christianity, gave his life to Christ at the age of 19. He has been detained and arrested multiple times since 2006 by authorities looking for a way to put an end to his ministry among Muslims.
TIMELINE
2006: Detained for ‘apostasy’ and ‘evangelism.’
October 12, 2009: Arrested after questioning a government policy which mandates Islamic and Qur’anic study for all students, even the children of Christians. Charged with ‘apostasy.’
September 22, 2010: Sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy by a court of appeals in Gilan. In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.
September 8, 2012: Released. After a strong international outcry, Youcef was granted an appeal which resulted in him being acquitted of the crime of apostasy. However, Youcef’s three-year sentence for his evangelistic activities aimed at Muslims and running illegal house church services remained intact.
December 25, 2012: Rearrested to serve the remainder of his three-year sentence.
January 7, 2013: Released from prison.
May 13, 2016: Arrested along with his wife, Fatemah (Tina) Pasandideh, and three other members of the Church of Iran (Mohammad Reza (Youhan) Omidi, Zaman (Saheb) Fadaie, and Mohammad Ali (Yasser) Mossayebzadeh). Youcef and Fatemah were released the same day.
July 24, 2016: Summoned and detained in Rasht prison, charged with “acting against national security.”
August 2016: Released on bail.
June 24, 2017: Sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and 2 years of exile for “acting against national security by organizing house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity.” Appeal filed.
May 2, 2018: 10-year sentence upheld by a court of appeals.
July 22, 2018: Police officers raided the Nadarkhani home, attacked the family’s 16-year-old son and forcibly removed Youcef from the house to begin serving his 10-year sentence.
October 2019: Ended his 21-day hunger strike protesting the fact that his children were excluded from school for refusing to attend Islamic studies. Youcef has fought for years for the right of his children to identify as Christians. Granted a retrial but denied bail.
June 2020: At the retrial, Youcef’s 10-year sentence was reduced to 6 years.
February 2022: Youcef fell ill following a COVID-19 outbreak in Evin Prison. Despite 85,000 prisoners being released in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Nadarkhani remained detained.
April 15, 2022: Released on his first break from prison. His two-week furlough was secured by a $11,500 bail.
February 26, 2023: Released.
After release: Received 30 lashes from authorities for returning to prison late from a home furlough in 2022 and told that he will need to serve 2 years in exile in Nikshahr, a city over 1,200 miles away from his family and home.
PRAYER NEEDS
Pray that the Lord protect Youcef and his family from all evil – allowing them to heal. Let us also pray that God continue to strengthen his faith and use him mightily for His purposes in Iran.
Please pray specifically that Pastor Nadarkhani’s release will be permanent as he has been rearrested many times.
Ask the Lord that Pastor Youcef be granted a free pass from having to serve two years in exile.
ACTION
We have a strong advocate in the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington D.C.
Write to the USCIRF today and encourage their diplomatic efforts on behalf of Iranian Christians, like Pastor Nadarkhani, who have spent years being tortured and imprisoned for the sake of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Send your letter to: (view Sample Letters here)
Chair: Rabbi Abraham Cooper
Address: 732 N. Capitol Street, N.W., Suite A714,
Washington, D.C. 20401
