Protesting the Iranian regime's mandating of Qur'an studies for all students (including their son), the pastor and his wife were charged with apostasy. Youcef was sentenced to death but later acquitted. However, he was later imprisoned again on additional charges.
Daniel, Yoel (sons)
In September 2010, Iranian Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was sentenced to death for apostasy. Apparently, Youcef had been born to Muslim parents but became a Christian at the age of 19. Although Youcef himself claimed in court that he had accepted no religion before he became Christian, his written confession stated otherwise: that he had indeed left Islam for Christianity. Youcef said he was coerced into writing this confession during interrogation and made to believe that by virtue of having been born to Muslim parents, he was himself a Muslim.
Notably, Youcef had faced charges for possible apostasy before, in 2006, but the charges for which he was sentenced in 2010 came on the heels of his protestations against the Iranian government’s policy requiring the Qur’an be studied in schools.
Youcef’s wife Fatemeh Pasandideh had also been arrested, but she was released in October 2010. Meanwhile, Youcef’s case went through an appeals process as he languished in prison. Having first been detained in 2009, his captivity ran all the way to August 2012, when, fortunately, he was acquitted of his supposed crimes, probably due to international outcry. He was still convicted of a lesser charge, earning him three years in prison, but he had already served those three years and so was immediately released.
“I am not an apostate ... Prior to 19 years old I did not accept any religion.” - Youcef Nadarkhani
Unfortunately, the harassment of Youcef on the part of legal authorities did not stop there. On more than one occasion, his life, along with Fatemeh’s, has been disrupted by seemingly random detentions. Authorities have accused him of spreading “Zionism.” In December 2012 and May 2016, these ended with relatively quick releases, but in July 2016, Youcef faced charges once more, this time for “Zionism and evangelizing.” For this, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Then, in July 2018, while Youcef was in the midst of an appeals process, police raided his home, physically abused him and his son, and took him to prison.
Youcef went on hunger strike in 2019, but to no avail. However, four years later, in February 2023, it was reported that he had finally been released from prison.
Youcef Nadarkhani - Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (United States Congress)
In Iran, a Christian pastor faces death sentence - CNN
Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani arrested after police raid his home - Iran Human Rights Monitor
Iran is a theocratic Islamic republic that derives its legal principles from Islamic religious law. As such, blasphemy and apostasy can be and are punished with death. Although there is no codified apostasy law in the penal code, this does not prevent its punishment in accordance with Islamic legal principles, and blasphemy is codified as a capital offense within the penal code. Iran has a poor track record on human rights, and if these “offenses” do not result in death, they may result in imprisonment or torture. Those who stand accused of either must also fear reprisal from non-state actors, though documented incidents of such reprisals are not as prominent as in some other countries.