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Youcef Nadarkhani

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Youcef Nadarkhani (born 1977) (first name also spelled Yousef, Youssef, or Yousof; last name also spelled Nadar-Khani or Nadar Khani) is an Iranian Christian pastor who has been sentenced to die in Tehran.[1][2] Initial reports, including a 2010 brief from the Iranian Supreme court, stated that the sentence was based on the crime of apostasy, renouncing his Islamic faith. Government officials later insisted that the sentence was instead based on alleged violent crimes, specifically rape and extortion.[3] The Iranian government has offered leniency if he will recant his Christianity.[3]

Biography

Nadarkhani is from Rasht, Gilan. He pastors a network of Christian house churches. He is a member of the Protestant evangelical Church of Iran.[4][5][6] He is married to Fatemah Pasindedih, and they have two sons, ages 9 and 7.[7]

Initial Arrest

Nadarkhani was first imprisoned in December 2006, on the charges of apostasy from and evangelism to Muslims. He was released two weeks later, without being charged.[7]

In 2009, Nadarkhani discovered a recent change in Iranian educational policy that forced all students, including his children, to read from the Qur'an. After he heard about this change, he went to the school and protested, based on the fact that the Iranian constitution guarantees freedom to practice religion. His protest was reported to the police, who arrested him and placed him before a tribunal on October 12, 2009, on charges of protesting.[8][7]

Death Sentence

The charges were later changed to apostasy and evangelism, the same charges he was initially arrested under in 2006.[8][7] On September 21–22, 2010, Nadarkhani appeared before the 11th Chamber of The Assize Court of the province of Gilan and sentenced to death for the charge of apostasy.[9] Nadarkhani's lawyer, Nasser Sarbaz, claims there were numerous procedural errors during Nadarkhani's trial.[7][10][11]

After conviction, Nadarkhani was transferred to a prison for political prisoners, and denied all access to his family and attorney. The delivery of Nadarkhani's written verdict was delayed by Iran's security officials. Christians believe the delay in execution is an attempt by Iran's secret police to force Nadarkhani to recant Christianity.[12]

On November 13, 2010, the verdict for the trial of September 21–22 was finally delivered in writing, indicating that Nadarkhani would be executed by hanging. The sentence was appealed and the 3rd Chamber of the Supreme Court in Qom upheld the conviction and sentence of death.[13] In July 2011 Mr. Nadarkhani's lawyer, Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, a prominent Iranian human rights defender, received the written verdict of the Supreme Court of Iran, dated 12 June 2011, which upholds the death sentence. The Supreme Court decision asks the court in Rasht, which issued the original death sentence, to re-examine some procedural flaws in the case, but ultimately gives the local judges the power to decide whether to release, execute or retry Mr. Nadarkhani in October. The recent written verdict includes a provision for annulment should Mr. Nadarkhani recant his faith.[14] He is currently being kept in a security prison in Lakan, Iran, which is just south of his hometown of Rasht.[15]

International Response

On October 29, 2010, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom asked President Barack Obama to press Iran for Nadarkhani's release. If the execution is carried out, Nadarkhani would be the first Christian executed for religious reasons in Iran in over 20 years.[8][16] The White House issued a statement condemning the execution on September 29, 2011.[17][18]

On September, 28, 2011, British Foreign Secretary William Hague issued a statement condemning the imminent execution, stating “I deplore reports that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian Church leader, could be executed imminently after refusing an order by the Supreme Court of Iran to recant his faith. This demonstrates the Iranian regime’s continued unwillingness to abide by its constitutional and international obligations to respect religious freedom. I pay tribute to the courage shown by Pastor Nadarkhani who has no case to answer and call on the Iranian authorities to overturn his sentence.”[19]

New Allegations

On October 1st, 2011 the Iran state media put out a report claiming Nadarkhani is facing the death sentence for rape and extortion, not for apostasy and refusing to renounce his religion, as his lawyer, human rights groups and Western news media have reported.

The comments were part of an Iranian media push to counter reports that Nadarkhani was facing execution for refusing to recant his Christian faith. Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ). said "We're trying to determine if this is the state-controlled media throwing it out there. There's been no mention of any other charges than apostasy in trial documents."[20]

In a ruling from the Iranian Supreme Court, translated into English by the Confederation of Iranian Students, Nadarkhani was sentenced to execution by hanging for, “turning his back on Islam” and “converting Muslims to Christianity.” The ruling also alleges that he also participated in Christian worship by holding home church services and baptizing himself and others, effectively breaking Islamic Law. There is no mention in the ruling of rape or extortion allegations.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Banks, Adelle M. (2011-09-28). "Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's potential execution rallies U.S. Christians". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-05. Religious freedom advocates rallied Wednesday (Sept. 28) around an Iranian pastor who is facing execution because he has refused to recant his Christian faith in the overwhelmingly Muslim country. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  2. ^ Hafezi, Parisa (2011-10-03). "Iran court likely to revoke pastor's death sentence-lawyer". Los Angeles Times. Reuters. Retrieved 2011-10-05. Yousof Nadarkhani, 33, was arrested and sentenced to death in Iran's northern city of Rasht in 2009. An appeals court upheld his sentence last year after he refused to reconvert to Islam, his lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah told Reuters. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Merica, Dan (2011-10-01). "Iranian pastor faces death for rape, not apostasy - report". CNN.
  4. ^ "William Hague urges Iran to spare life of pastor facing execution". The Telegraph. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-10-05. Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, a member of the Protestant evangelical Church of Iran, was arrested in 2009 for apostasy and he was sentenced to death last year. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  5. ^ Fournier, Keith (2011-10-03). "Iran: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Sentenced to Death for Refusing to Convert to Islam". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2011-10-05. Today we bring to the attention of the global readership of Catholic Online the plight of a Protestant Christian pastor in Iran, Pastor Youce Nadarkhani. This brave Christian man was sentenced to death because he refuses to convert to Islam. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  6. ^ Simpson, John (2011-09-29). "Britain, U.S. Call on Iran to Halt Execution of Christian Pastor". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2011-10-05. The U.K. and the U.S. urged Iran to overturn a death sentence imposed on an Iranian Christian pastor for apostasy. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e "Full Story of Youcef Nadarkhani". International Christian Concern. 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2011-10-03. Because Youcef's faith remained strong, they decided to arrest his wife in order to place more pressure on him. On June 18th, 2010 Fatemah Pasindedih was arrested, charged with apostasy and placed in prison in Lakan.
  8. ^ a b c Cole, Ethan (2010-10-31). "Obama Admin Urged to Defend Iranian Pastor Facing Execution". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2011-10-03. The Obama administration should press Iran to release Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been jailed for over one year, expressed the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in a statement Friday. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  9. ^ Sterling, Joe (2010-12-07). "In Iran, a Christian pastor faces death sentence". CNN. Retrieved 2011-10-03. On September 22, Iran's 11th Circuit Criminal Court of Appeals for the Gilan Province upheld the death sentence and conviction of Nadarkhani for apostasy. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  10. ^ "Temporary Delay To Execution of Brother Youcef Nadarkhani". Present Truth Ministries. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  11. ^ "Iranian Pastor Faces Death for Thought Crime". Christian Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  12. ^ "Temporary Delay of Execution to Brother Youcef Nadarkhani". FarsiNet.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  13. ^ "Death Sentence Delivered". Present Truth Ministries. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  14. ^ "Iran: Written Verdict Confirms Nadarkhani Death Sentence". Christian Solidarity Worldwide. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-10-03. Since the original verdict was based on fatwas by Ayatollahs Khomeini, the 'father' of Iran's revolution in 1979, Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and Makarem Shirazi, currently the most influential religious leader in Iran, the Supreme Court may have been reluctant to overturn the verdict for fear of inviting controversy, despite the fact that there is no death sentence for apostasy in the Iranian penal code. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  15. ^ "Execution of Iranian Pastor Temporarily Delayed". Christian Broadcasting Network. 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2011-10-03. Nadarkhani is being kept in a security prison in Lakan, Iran, which is just south of his hometown of Rasht. His wife was also sentenced to life in prison. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  16. ^ "USCIRF Urges Obama Administration to Demand Release of Pastor Facing Execution in Iran for Apostasy". USCIRF. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  17. ^ Jay Carney (29 September 2011). "Statement by the Press Secretary on Conviction of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  18. ^ Merica, Dan (2011-09-29). "U.S. condemns Iranian pastor's conviction". CNN. Retrieved 2011-10-03. After four days of an appeals trial for apostasy, Nadarkhani refused to recant his beliefs, the commission said.
  19. ^ "Foreign Secretary calls on Iran to overturn Iranian Church leader's death sentence". Foreign Secretary and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  20. ^ "State Media Reports Iranian Pastor Facing Execution for Rape, Not Religion". FoxNews.com. 2011-10-01.

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