Calls for U.S. action continue after an Iranian court rejected an
appeal from Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen
imprisoned in Iran for his religious work in the country.
“The news out of Iran is devastating to our family,” said Naghmeh Abedini, wife of the pastor, in an Aug. 26 statement.
“From past cases, we know that the decision to release my husband lies
solely at the mercy of the Supreme Leader,” she added. “It is imperative
in the coming days, weeks, and months that we remain vigilant to call
for Pastor Saeed's release. This includes continuing to put pressure on
Iran from the U.S. government and governments around the world.”
Born and raised as a Muslim in Iran, Abedini converted to Christianity
in 2000 and obtained U.S. citizenship a decade later, following his
marriage to Naghmeh, who is also a U.S. citizen. The couple and their
two children live in Idaho.
Following his conversion, Abedini worked with Christian house churches
in Iran until he drew staunch opposition from the government. In 2009,
he came to an agreement with the regime under which he would be
permitted to travel the country freely if he stopped work with the
churches.
Since that time, the pastor has worked with secular orphanages in the
country. Last fall, however, he was arrested while visiting those
orphanages and charged with posing a threat to national security for his
previous work with the house churches, despite the fact that such
churches are technically legal in the country.
Abedini was sentenced to eight years in Iran’s Evin prison, but had been
seeking an appeal to reduce the length of the sentence. In a letter
several months ago, he said the Iranian authorities were trying to force
him to renounce his faith in Christ.
Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice – which is
representing Abedini’s family in the U.S. – explained that while “we
remained hopeful that Iran would use its own appeal process to finally
show respect for Pastor Saeed's basic human rights, again Iran has
demonstrated an utter disregard for the fundamentals of human rights.”
He added that the “legal decision also signals a new level of concern for Pastor Saeed’s safety.”
While in prison, the pastor has faced beatings, solitary confinement,
and serious injuries, leading him to be significantly weakened over the
past year.
“By keeping the 8-year prison sentence in place,” Sekulow said, Abedini
“now potentially faces additional beatings and abuse inside Evin
Prison.”
Calling Iran’s decision a “deeply troubling” illustration of the
regime’s continued violation of human rights, Sekulow explained that the
family is currently “exploring all options,” which include appealing to
the Supreme Court in Tehran and pleading for a pardon from Iran’s
Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
Additionally, global attention and pressure could play a key role in securing Abedini’s freedom.
Last fall, Iran released another Christian pastor, Yousef Nadarkhani,
after three years of imprisonment. The move was attributed largely to
mounting pressure from the international community.
Now, Abedini’s family is calling for the U.S. to take a stronger stance
to protect one of its own citizens from unjust imprisonment and abuse.
Naghmeh said that she is “disappointed that as a country that was
founded on religious freedom, our government has been awkwardly silent
as an American citizen is wasting away in an Iranian prison because he
chose to practice his God-given right to choose his religion.”