Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani – currently serving a 10 year prison sentence in Tehran for “acting against the national interest” – has ended a three week hunger strike held to protest bars on his children’s education.
Nadarkhani began the strike on 23rd September after his 15 year-old son Yoel was informed he could not return to school because he had not completed the Islamic studies module while his 17-year-old son Daniel was denied a school report card which would enable him to enrol in higher education, despite a 2017 court ruling that had allowed him to continue school by attending Islamic studies classes in a non-participatory manner.
Nadarkhani, who is serving time in Evin prison, described his hunger strike in a letter to prison authorities as “the cry of a father, unjustly imprisoned”. As well as addressing the situation of his own children, the strike had aimed to draw attention to the plight of second generation Christian children who are being increasingly penalised by educational authorities who do not recognise their faith – an issue which Nadarkhani has campaigned on for more than a decade.
UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW reports that, having drawn attention to the issue, Nadarkhani ended his strike on 13th October. CSW noted that the strike had already adversely affected his health.
Mervyn Thomas, CSW’s chief executive, reiterated the organisation’s call “for an end to the practice of denying access to education on account of a child’s religious beliefs, as has been the case for Pastor Nadarkhani’s sons”.
“Children should not be penalised because of their faith or that of their parents,” he was said in a statement. “Moreover, Pastor Nadarkhani himself should not be in prison for having adopted a religion or belief of his choice in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is party. We reiterate our call for his release, and that of others from religious minority communities who are currently imprisoned on account of their faith.”
Pastor Nadarkhani was initially arrested in the city of Rasht on 13th October, 2009, after questioning the Muslim monopoly on religious instruction for Iranian children, according to CSW. He was acquitted of apostasy and released in September, 2012, but rearrested in December that year on an administrative technicality before he was released again in January, 2013.
On 13th May, 2016, Pastor Nadarkhani was arrested once again, along with three other Christians. On 14th June, 2017, they were each given a 10 year prison sentence “acting against the national security through propagating house churches and promoting Zionist Christianity”.
The four Christians were released on bail pending an appeal, but were informed on 2nd May last year that the sentences had been upheld. They were subsequently arrested in a series of raids in July last year and taken to Evin prison to serve their sentences.
