If you’ve been supporting CSW for a while, you may be familiar with the cases of two unjustly imprisoned Christians: Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani in Iran, and Professor Richard Solomon Tarfa in Nigeria.

Even if you’ve only recently discovered our work, you can still rejoice with us at this long-awaited victory – that these two men are finally free at last!

This is the news we’ve been praying, advocating and campaigning for over many years. The work doesn’t end here, but we’re so grateful to everyone who has stood alongside them and not given up.

Pastor Nadarkhani was first arrested in December 2006. He was charged with evangelism and apostasy (leaving a religion; in this case Islam) even though he had never been a Muslim as an adult. He was released two weeks later – but this was just the first of many times he would be denied his freedom over the next 16 years.

The pastor was again arrested for apostasy in October 2009, while trying to register his church, and due to his questioning of the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of Iranian children. He was tried the following year, found guilty and handed the death sentence.

In 2011 the Supreme Court reexamined Pastor Nadarkhani’s case, giving him multiple opportunities to renounce his faith and save his own life. Under immense pressure, the pastor refused every time. The court ruled that, despite never having practised Islam before becoming a Christian, Pastor Nadarkhani was still guilty of apostasy because of his Muslim ancestry.

Urgent advocacy and prayer

We were advocating for Pastor Nadarkhani throughout this ordeal, knowing that he could be executed at any time. Thousands of people across the world joined our urgent call for prayer and action on his behalf. Eventually, thanks to mounting international pressure, the pastor was acquitted of apostasy in September 2012. He was finally released in January 2013 after completing the rest of his sentence for evangelism – yet he only enjoyed a brief period of freedom before being returned to prison once more.

Arrested while worshipping

In May 2016, Pastor Nadarkhani, his wife Tina Pasandideh, and three other Christians were arrested when security agents raided Christian homes in Rasht, northern Iran. Tina Pasandideh was released the next day.

There was no reason or justification for Pastor Nadarkhani or the other church members to be taken into custody. In fact, the authorities failed to explain why they were being arrested at all. The four men were later given ten-year sentences for ‘acting against national security’ by ‘promoting Zionist Christianity’. The pastor was imprisoned with a number of other Christians in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison – known for appalling conditions and mistreatment of prisoners.

Over the following years, the pastor would be released and re-arrested several times, for example when out on bail, on prison furlough, or awaiting appeal. The years of injustice and harassment he experienced are typical of Iran’s treatment of religious minorities – especially converts from Islam.

Long-awaited breakthrough

In 2021, there was a ray of hope. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that Pastor Nadarkhani was indeed being held arbitrarily; in part because no legal justification was given at the time of arrest. They urged the Iranian authorities to release the pastor unconditionally.

This international recognition of his unjust treatment was especially encouraging as we had been regularly raising his case with United Nations experts since his arrest.

In February 2023, Pastor Nadarkhani was released as part of a national amnesty. Deacon Saheb Fadaie, who had been arrested with the pastor in 2016, was also freed.

Pastor Nadarkhani told non-profit organisation Article 18 he was happy to be home and ‘very grateful for all those who prayed for me and remembered me while I was in prison.’

You campaigned and prayed tirelessly alongside us for Pastor Nadarkhani until he was freed – thank you so much. Our work will not be over until everyone in Iran is truly free to believe.

‘Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I left the court to call you so you can also thank all of my brothers and sisters who prayed and tell them God has answered.’ - Mrs Mercy Tarfa

Your prayers answered: Professor Tarfa is acquitted!

After years of advocacy, prayer and campaigning, Professor Tarfa, cofounder of the Du Merci orphanages in Nigeria, was acquitted of an unfounded forgery charge, released from prison and reunited with his wife.

As you know, Professor Tarfa had been serving a two-year prison sentence after being convicted of forgery in March 2022. He has been subjected to years of injustice and harassment which predate his December 2019 arrest.

We know you’ll be rejoicing with his family at this long overdue acquittal, and we cannot thank you enough for all you have done to support this precious family.

Keep praying for the Du Merci children

Twenty-seven children were seized during the police raids on the Du Merci orphanages on Christmas Day 2019. The children were placed in a state-run orphanage in the Kano state capital city; the older ones were later released, leaving 16 in the orphanage.

The four youngest were subsequently separated forcefully from their siblings and taken to a remote orphanage reportedly run by the Governor of Kano state, where they were forcibly converted and given Muslim names.

Please continue to pray with us for the return of all the Du Merci children, and for reparations to be made to the family for the trauma they have endured over the last three years.

‘I and my family appreciate all of you for caring and praying for me and my children. I thank God for your support.’ - Professor Solomon Tarfa

Our advocacy will continue until no one in Nigeria or Iran has to face injustice because of their religious beliefs.

Make a gift towards freedom. Today.

Pastor Nadarkhani and Professor Tarfa are free today in no small part because of your prayers, campaigning and support. Without your financial support, it would not have been possible for us to continue advocating for them in every advocacy arena during their imprisonment.

The sad reality is that there are countless other people around the world today who are unjustly imprisoned because of their religion or belief.

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25-31 December 2019: Armed officers raided, without a warrant, the Du Merci orphanages in Kano and Kaduna states. 27 children were forcibly moved to a government-run children’s home. Professor Tarfa was eventually detained on accusations of illegally operating the orphanage, which were proven to be false.

January 2020: CSW UK launched a letter writing campaign to the Nigerian High Commissioner, urging him to request the intervention of the Nigerian government to ensure Professor Tarfa’s release. Over 6,800 emails have been sent to the High Commissioner since the launch of the campaign.

June 2020: James Duddridge MP confirmed that the British High Commission in Abuja had raised Professor Tarfa's case with the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and the Kano State authorities, and the UK Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief had raised the case with the Nigerian Federal Government at a senior level.

October 2020: CSW Nigeria created an online petition for Professor Tarfa’s release, which has received 3,088 signatures worldwide.

December 2020: Professor Tarfa was released on bail after meeting new bail requirements set in November 2020.

January 2021: 1,531 supporters emailed Lord Ahmad and Fiona Bruce MP, asking them to put pressure on the Nigerian government to ensure the safe return of the Du Merci children.

January 2021: CSW UK organised an online prayer event for Professor and Mrs Tarfa, which was attended by over 90 people, including the Tarfas themselves.

June 2021: Professor Tarfa was acquitted on charges of ‘running an illegal orphanage’ and ‘criminal conspiracy and abduction of minors’.

March 2022: Professor Tarfa was sentenced to two years in prison on a false charge of forging a certificate of registration from the Kano state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

January 2022: CSW worked with an MP who tabled two written parliamentary questions to the UK government on the Du Merci children.

17 November 2022: Many of our supporters joined us at an online prayer event with Mrs Tarfa ahead of her husband’s appeal hearing.

24 November 2022: An appeal against Professor Tarfa’s prison sentence was heard in court.

January 2023: Professor Tarfa is acquitted of the unfounded forgery charge levelled against him, released from prison and reunited with his wife.