Two Iranian people who were in prison opened their own restaurant in order to help to raise funds to free prisoners flagging behind bars for unpaid debts. The owners of the Jail aim to free bad debt inmates.
In front of the store, they have a picture of their “Cell 16” diner in eastern Tehran indicating a frustrated prisoner is holding a chicken leg in their one hand, and are trying with other hand to bend the bars of his cell to escape.
They got the idea for restaurant when they were in prison and implemented it when they were out.
According to ‘Benyamin Nakhat’ who is 31-year-old “I met with my partner during police custody, I worked at the iron market before this in Tehran, but unfortunately, I went bankrupt. I found myself penniless.
His business partner, ‘Arman Alizadeh‘ a 30-year-old prisoner, was also overflowed in debt.
Iranian laws are very harsh towards cheques and money and all things, and if cheques bounce, you have to go to prison until the time when money is repaid.
According to prison officials, more than 11,000 Iranians are behind bars for failing to pay their debts.
That is about five per cent of Iran’s total prison population. Two years after their releasement, the jail time friends opened Cell 16, with its separate dining table behind bars.
As per the Nakhat, decorating the place was very easy; we just copied the place where we spent many days of our lives and the main motive to open this restaurant is to show people that prison doesn’t need to be made and filled with bad guys.
“Prisoners are sometimes people who haven’t committed crimes but have had trouble. It can happen to anyone.”
With the help of social media businesses get viral all over the social media platforms, the business has been a victory, having first opened in 2016 with just seven ‘cell’. It has grown to two more eateries in Tehran and the central city of Isfahan.
However, owners did not forget their bad days, which they spent in Jail.
According to the Alizadeh, “We want to help detainees by collecting funds.” “We help obligated detainees by sometimes launching campaigns for help from contributors or clients.
“We also publish the requests on our Instagram page, and everyone contributes as per their pocket allowed. Parts of the restaurant’s profits will also be used in order to help free prisoners.”
He added that “it’s often the wives of prisoners who requested help. We choose those who we think is really need our help, for example, a married person with children, or sick persons unable to work to repay a loan.”
Manu celebrities and big names are also part of this charity. Not only this, but also they provide jobs to those who recently came from prison.