An Iranian-born American pastor who holds dual citizenship is sitting behindย bars in Iranโs Evin prison after being arrested by the Iranian Revolutionaryย Guard.
Pastor Saeed Abedini was arrested shortly after arriving in Iran in Septemberย to visit his parents. Reports of his arrest didnโtย become known until this past week.
Abediniโs captors have refused to disclose the charges, but the Americanย Center for Law and Justice says that the prison is โespecially brutalโ and thatย heโs in jail because he formerly ran a network of house churches while he stillย lived in Iran.
Pressย reports indicate that he was going back to Iran to continue his workย building an orphanage.
The Iranian government doesnโt recognize dual citizenship and has said theyย have no obligation to honor any diplomatic inquiries from the U. S.ย government.
American Center for Law and Justice Executive Director Jordan Sekulow saysย the arrest is typical of Iranโs regime.
โIran has commonly employed intimidation tactics to stop the spread ofย Christianity and the growth of the underground house church,โ Sekulow said.
Sekulow adds that the pastorโs status makes him a target: โPastor Saeed is aย dual citizen of both Iran and the United States, but unfortunately, Iran doesย not recognize Pastor Saeedโs U.S. citizenship. The government does know,ย however, that in the past, thousands of Iranians have looked to Pastor Saeed asย a leader of those who convert from Islam to Christianity.โ
He adds that the Iranian government is hoping to make an example of theย pastor: โBy throwing him in prison under the threat of a long prison sentence,ย and possibly death, Iran knows that it can intimidate those who followed Pastorย Saeedโs leadership.โ
After picking up Abedini, the government is turning their sights on hisย former congregations.
โSince detaining Pastor Saeed, the government has sought out congregants ofย the underground house church network he used to lead,โ Sekulow claims. โMany ofย these congregants have been interrogated and threatened. In essence, throughย intimidation, Iran hopes to strangle the growing underground houseย churches.โ
Sekulow adds that itโs possible that Iranโs regime could use the pastor asย leverage for a political deal.
โWhile we hope that Pastor Saeed will not become a political bargaining chipย for Iran, we recognize that Iran has in the past used American prisoners asย such,โ Sekulow said. โIran also knows, however, that it is currently on veryย thin ice diplomatically with many of its trade partners, and exposing itsย flagrant violations of human rights to the world could crack the ice.โ
Sekulow adds that heโs hopeful that Pastor Saeed doesnโt become an extensionย of the situation with Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor held for overย 1,000 days. He adds that the episode does speak volumes about the true nature ofย Iranโs government.
โLike Pastor Youcef, Pastor Saeedโs arrest, detention and now charges showย the true character of Iran to be a country that is willing to violate theย fundamental rights of man,โ Sekulow said. โThe world needs to awaken to thisย abuse and cry out for justice.โ
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/american-pastor-jailed-in-brutal-iran-prison/#JBf8Wu0rEKpmGqLZ.99
