Refusal to Enroll the Child of Imprisoned Pastor in School

A reliable source inside Iran informed Radio Farda that pressure on the family of imprisoned pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has increased, and they have been denied enrollment of Mr. Nadarkhani's child in school. This report regarding the pressure on Mr. Nadarkhani's family comes as this Christian convert pastor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, along with 2 years of exile to the city of Nikshahr in Sistan and Baluchestan province. The news of the refusal to enroll Mr. Nadarkhani's child has also been confirmed by Mansour Borji, spokesperson for the 'Article 18 Organization for the Defense of the Rights of Christians in Iran.' Previously, 'Mohabat News,' which covers news related to Christians, reported that Judge Ahmadzadeh, head of Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, sentenced Yousef Nadarkhani, Mohammad Reza Omidi, Mohammad Ali Maseb Zadeh, and Zaman Fadaei to 10 years in prison each for 'forming a house church' and 'promoting what is referred to as Zionist Christianity.' Yousef Nadarkhani had previously been arrested in 2009 in the city of Rasht. At that time, the preliminary court accused him of 'apostasy' and 'inviting other Muslims to Christianity,' 'establishing a secret church in his home,' and 'openly opposing Islam,' and reportedly issued a death sentence against him. However, due to widespread protests from Western governments and human rights organizations, this Christian pastor was ultimately acquitted of the charge of 'apostasy' and was sentenced to three years in prison for 'propaganda against the regime,' and since he had already served this time in prison, he was released. In recent months, several evangelical Christians have been sentenced to long prison terms. In many cases, the charges against these individuals were 'acts against national security through the establishment and participation in house churches.' Mansour Borji previously stated in an interview with Radio Farda that these accusations are 'baseless' and reflect the Islamic Republic's security approach towards religious minorities. Mr. Borji also announced that the crackdown on Christian converts is politically motivated and contrary to legal standards. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran expressed concern last month over the long prison sentences for several Christian converts in less than two months, highlighting the persecution of Christians in Iran. In this context, Iran described the U.S. report on religious freedom violations as 'biased.'