Iran | Restaurant feeds customers in ‘jail’ to help inmates

(Tehran) Eating behind bars decked out in the striped uniform of prisoners: in Tehran, a restaurant offers its customers the opportunity to spend a moment in “prison”, and to help with their bill to free those who are languishing in dungeons for unpaid debts.

Entitled “Cell 16”, the idea for this restaurant was born during the detention of its two founders, Benyamin Nakhat, 31, and Arman Alizadeh, 30.

“I met my partner during our custody. I used to work in the iron market in Tehran but I went bankrupt. I found myself in the hole penniless, ”confided to AFP Mr. Nakhat.

Mr. Alizadeh worked for his part in export but he too was drowned in debts.

But in Iran, the law is severe for those who issue bad checks, who have not paid the dowry promised during their marriage or those who fail to repay bank loans.

It’s prison until the loan is repaid.

A total of 11,000 Iranians are being held for not paying their debts, according to prison officials. In 2019, the total number of detainees in the country was 240,000, according to the official Irna news agency.

In prison, Benyamin Nakhat and Arman Alizadeh became friends. Two years later, in April 2016, they opened their restaurant in the east of the capital.

“For the decoration, it was easy. We reproduced the place where we were detained,” says Mr. Nakhat with a smile.

“We wanted to show that prison is not necessarily a place for the bad guys. Inmates are sometimes people who have not committed crimes but have had a reversal of fortune,” he says. “It can happen to anyone. »

The country is going through a serious economic crisis – a consequence in particular of the sanctions restored by Washington against Iran – which goes hand in hand with an annual inflation of 60% and the regular devaluation of the national currency, the rial.

Donations and reintegration

Composed of seven “cells”, each of which can accommodate six to seven “detainees”, the restaurant quickly became successful thanks to the enthusiasm of social networks.

Then, the appetite coming with eating, the partners inaugurated two other restaurants, one also in Tehran and the other in Isfahan.

But the owners have not forgotten their companions in misfortune.

“Part of the restaurant’s proceeds helps to free inmates” in prison for unpaid debts, explains Mr. Alizadeh.

“We want to help the prisoners by raising funds. We assist indebted detainees by sometimes launching campaigns to solicit help from donors or clients, ”especially on Instagram, he specifies.

“We choose those who seem to us to have priority, for example, a married person with children or a sick person unable to work to repay their loan. »

Donation amounts vary. One day, says Mr. Nakhat, “we participated in a television program to solicit the help of viewers. According to those responsible for the program, the collection brought in six billion rials”, or 209,000 euros.

“Help prisoners”

“Cellule 16” also helps with the reintegration of people who have just been released from prison. “On several occasions, released detainees came to work in the restaurant,” says Mr. Nakhat.

Their fight is shared by several philanthropic or religious associations, and also supported by Iranian celebrities. A total of 113.5 million euros was raised in 2021 for this cause, according to Irna.

Accompanied by two friends, Hasti Berjissian, 24, appreciates the concept of “Cell 16”.

“We’ve been coming here since it opened. The food is good, but above all we want to help the prisoners,” says this young Iranian, purchasing manager in a factory, enjoying a creamy pizza.

In another cell, Shiva Shemshaki, 33, celebrates her husband’s birthday. “I come here because a friend of ours has been in prison for nine months for unpaid debts. He had bought goods but was ruined by inflation. »