NRB Urges U.S. Help for American Pastor Sentenced in Iran

NRB urged newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene on behalf of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen who is being imprisoned and persecuted in Iran for his Christian faith. Abedini, arrested in September for allegedly being a threat to Iran’s national security, has already been forced to await trial in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons, being subject to severe interrogations, periods of solitary confinement, and physical assault. Pastor Saeed now faces eight more years of such suffering after being unjustly sentenced by Judge Pir-Abassi, known infamously as a “hanging judge.” Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), stated, “For Pastor Saeed, eight years in Evin Prison could very well be a death sentence.”

In his letter to Secretary Kerry, Dr. Frank Wright, NRB President & CEO, declared, “We find it unconscionable that the Iranian government would violate its own law and international covenants by treating any individual, never mind an American citizen, with such enmity and abuse because of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Dr. Wright then requested State Department efforts toward Pastor Saeed’s release and safe passage back to the U.S.

         • Read NRB’s letter to Secretary of State John Kerry.
         • Find more coverage by the American Center for Law and Justice.

By Aaron Mercer, Vice President Government Relations

Published: February 1, 2013