– This is inhumane and humiliating. My life is ruined, says Vesam Heydari. He looks down at the Bible in his hand. The 43-year-old is sitting in bed in the eight-square-metre dormitory in Stord. Only a few days have passed since he received the news: the Supreme Court’s appeal committee has determined that he may not hear his case again. Because with each passing day, the Iranian convert feels a gnawing fear of being sent back to his homeland. From Islam to Christianity Vesam Heydari has converted from Islam to Christianity, something that is strictly forbidden in Iran. He was baptized shortly after he came to Norway in 2009. Since 2011, he has attended communion and been a regular participant in services in Sund, Førde, Bergen and Stord. He has been a faithful member of a Persian Bible group and engaged in Christian Intercultural Work (KIA). He has offered at seven different asylum reception centers and moved 17 times. In a small dormitory at Stord in Sunnhordland, Vesam Heydari waits in uncertainty as to what will happen to him. Photo: Olav Røli / news Court Marathon Heydari claims he will be targeted for prosecution if he is sent back to Iran, but his asylum application was rejected. At first he was supported in both the District Court and the Court of Appeal. But the Norwegian Immigration Service (UNE) appealed and the Supreme Court decided that the case had to be reopened. Heydari lost during the new proceedings in the Court of Appeal. Recently, the Supreme Court’s appeals committee determined that he cannot bring the case to court again. Which means he has to leave the country. Thus, a court marathon over several years is over. Key questions in the case have been whether Heydari is a “strategic convert”, how much he has “exposed” to the threat, and what are the risks of returning to his homeland of Iran. Vesam Heydari has been an active Christian church leader. Here he is photographed in Førde church when he lived in Sunnfjord. Photo: news SOGN OG FJORDANE In the now final judgment, it is pointed out that Heydari has not had a leading Christian role, and that there is “no real danger of persecution” if he, for example, becomes a passive member of an Iranian home church. It is shown that between 50 and 200 converts are arrested each year in Iran, but that this is “very low” in light of the fact that the number of converts varies between 300,000 and 1 million. The conclusion is that Heydari “does not have a well-founded fear of persecution”. In a recent report from UNE, it is stated that the decisive factor in most Iranian convert cases is not whether the applicant has converted, “but how active the person will be if he or she travels back to the home country”. Upset ex-bishop Former bishop in Sør-Hålogaland, Tor B. Jørgensen, has been an expert on the church’s side during the legal process. He believes the court has made “an obvious misjudgment”. – Vesam’s personality and type of Christianity are assessed incorrectly. He appears with great trustworthiness and integrity when it comes to what he says, says Jørgensen. He believes the verdict indicates that the judges do not understand the real situation for converts in Iran today. – Everyone who participates in illegal Christian activity is seen as enemies of the Islamic State. Everyone who is caught in a raid will be registered and must undertake not to participate in such meetings. If they are caught a second time, they risk imprisonment under torture. . Vesam Heydari is in great danger if he is sent back to Iran and practices his Christian faith, says former bishop in Sør-Hålogaland, Tor B. Jørgensen. Photo: Private Senior Councilor in Noas, Jon Ole Martinsen, is very disappointed with the outcome. – We are worried that Vesam will be at risk of serious reactions on the basis of its threat if it returns to Iran, he says. Martinsen characterizes the situation for human rights in Iran as “extremely difficult”, and adds that the extensive demonstrations in the country have worsened the situation further. FRP supports the verdict Immigration policy spokesperson in the Progressive Party, Erlend Wiborg, is of a different opinion. – Here, the Norwegian governing authorities through a number of bodies have thoroughly assessed this case and concluded that Heydari has no right to stay in Norway. We have to accept that. Why former bishops or others are above the law, says Wiborg. He adds that it will affect others who are in real need of protection, if people without a need for protection are allowed to stay in Norway. FRP’s immigration policy spokesperson, Erlend Wiborg, believes there is no reason to doubt that Vesam Heydari does not need protection. The case has been very thoroughly considered, he believes. Photo: Christian Nicolai Bjørke/news Eighth worst country to live out Christian faith Being open about one’s faith (as opposed to discreet) is covered by freedom of religion as defined in the Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 (on exercising one’s faith). According to the World Watch List 2021, Iran is the eighth worst country in the world to live out its Christian faith. In convert cases, UNE bases itself on information from Landinfo, which is the name of the Norwegian Immigration Service’s specialist unit for information about different countries. In a report from 2019, they conclude that: “the main picture (in Iran) is still that converts who are highly active, or have organizational roles, are normally hit harder than those who keep a lower profile.” The Norwegian Immigration Service (UNE) is satisfied with the outcome of the case. In an e-mail from unit manager Terje Østraat, he writes that UNE has “noted” that the court has supported them. Beyond this, he has no comment. Since 2018, UNE has dealt with 120 cases where Iranians have converted to Christianity. Only about 30 per cent of them have been granted residency in Norway. When the cases come to court, UNE wins in around 80 per cent of the cases.
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Iranian convert is not Christian enough – does not get a residence permit in Norway – news Vestland
