One Saint
  • Home
  • Jesus Said
    • Matthew
    • Mark
    • Luke
    • John
    • Acts
    • I Corinthians
    • II Corinthians
    • Revelation
  • One Saint Blogs
    • Eschatology
    • Annie
    • All Saints
    • One Saint
    • David
    • Askakido
  • The Persecuted Church
    • Prayer
    • Crown of Life
  • Library
  • MP3s
    • Mystery Babylon
    • Pastors, Ministers and Priests
    • Run from the Devil
    • Miscellaneous Teachings
  • Music
    • Music of Heaven
    • Handel's Messiah
    • Miscellaneous Music >
      • Musical Library XXIII
      • Musical Library XXII
      • Musical Library XXI
      • Musical Library XX
      • Musical Library XIX
      • Musical Library XVIII
      • Musical Library XVII
      • Musical Library XVI
      • Musical Library XV
      • Musical Library XIV
      • Musical Library XIII
      • Musical Library XII
      • Musical Library XI
      • Musical Library X
      • Musical Library IX
      • Musical Library VIII
      • Musical Library VII
      • Musical Library VI
      • Musical Library V
      • Musical Library IV
      • Musical Library III
      • Musical Library II
      • Musical Library I
  • Video
    • DR S M Lockridge, Full Sermon
    • Enoch
    • Genesis
    • Gospel Of Luke
    • Greatest Biblical Archaeological Discoveries Of All Time
    • King Solomon
    • Leonard Ravenhill
    • One Saint
    • Paul, The Apostle
    • Rabbi Jonathan Cahn
    • Revelation, The Book
    • Roger Morneau
    • Ruth
    • Sermon On The Mount
    • That's My King!
    • The Bride, The Beast & Babylon
    • The Jesus Movie
  • Links

Iranian Authorities Threaten Pastor Saeed

5/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Authorities in Iran Increase Pressure on U.S-Iranian Pastor Saeed Abedini, Advocate Says
Jailers threaten to keep him in prison indefinitely.

May 1, 2015 
By Our Middle East Correspondent 
Leave a Comment
Picture
ISTANBUL, Turkey 
Morning Star News

Iranian authorities over the past month have increased pressure on imprisoned U.S.-Iranian pastor Saeed Abedini by threatening to keep him in prison indefinitely, a legal advocate said.

Authorities seem to be taking a “carrot-and-stick” approach to Abedini – burying him under a mountain of new, petty charges while promising him freedom if he abandons his faith in Christ and converts back to Islam, said Tiffany Barrans, international director at the American Center for Law and Justice.

“They have said, ‘Don’t think you’ll get out after eight years. We’ll add additional reasons to keep you,’” she said. “That’s the kind of threat, in conjunction with an uptick of, ‘If you recant, if you return to Islam, we will let you go.’ That’s not anything new, but it’s a very concentrated, intense time in the prison at present.”

The threat is not an idle one. In Gohardasht Prison, also known as Rajai-Shahr, pastor Farshid Fathi could face an additional two-year sentence after the imam of ward 10 accused him of insulting him. The imam filed the complaint after Fathi, along with other prisoners, defied his order for all Christian books in the ward to be inspected, according to Mohabat News.

The imam did not have the legal authority to order the confiscation.

On Dec. 29, 2014, Fathi was sentenced to an additional year in prison after authorities accused him of having alcohol – Communion wine – in prison. He has appealed the decision.

“The psychological weight of [new charges against other Christians] certainly has been taking its toll, because Saeed has seen it come to reality for so many others,” Barrans said.

In October 2014, Iranian authorities sentenced three pastors, Behnam Irani, Abdolreza Ali-Haghnejad and Reza Rabbani, all leaders in the Church of Iran, to six years in prison for “actions against national security” and “creating a network to overthrow the system,” catch-all terms the Islamist government uses to suppress Christians and political opponents it perceives as threats. Originally authorities charged the men with “Mofsed-fel-arz” or “spreading corruption on Earth,” a charge that can carry the death penalty.

In July 2012, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard briefly arrested Abedini during his visit to set up an orphanage he was building. After interrogation, authorities placed Abedini under house arrest and told him to wait for a court summons to face criminal charges for his Christian faith.

Two months later, in September, he was arrested at his parents’ home and taken to prison.

On Jan. 27, 2013, Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly threatening “national security” by planting house churches years ago. Abedini, whose 35th birthday is Thursday (May 7), became a U.S. citizen in 2010 and has a wife and two children in the United States. The Iranian government does not recognize his U.S. citizenship.

Barrans said pressure on Abedini comes and goes in waves, but that the current round of ill treatment may be related to international efforts to limit Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.

Iran has long been at the receiving end of a variety of devastating economic sanctions from the U.S. government, the United Nations and others in an effort to stop its nuclear program. Iran wants to end the sanctions while maintaining as much of its program as possible.

“I can’t say there’s an actual causation, but certainly a possible correlation between the framework that was reached with the P5+1 countries,” Barrans said, referring to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany addressing Iran’s nuclear program. “There’s just been an increased amount of activity and tension and threats and singling out of Saeed as an American in the prison since the framework agreement was reached between the countries. These nuclear negotiations have dramatically complicated the situation – as much as our government insists that he is not a political pawn, and that they will not allow him to be used as a political pawn.”

Barrans said that if the U.S. government “leaves the table without getting Abedini’s freedom, it makes things much more difficult to get his release.”

September marks Abedini’s third year in prison. According to Iranian law, most criminal offenders can apply for clemency or parole when they have served one-third of their sentences. Barrans said Abedini’s family is in the process of applying for that.

So far, their efforts for clemency have met with no results.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that that can orient you on how to get involved.  

If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at http://morningstarnews.org/donate/?   

###

 © 2014 Morning Star News. Articles/photos may be reprinted with credit to Morning Star News. 

Morning Star News is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that relies solely on contributions to offer original news reports of persecuted Christians. By providing reliable news on the suffering church, Morning Star News’ mission is to empower those in the free world to help and to encourage persecuted Christians that they are not forgotten or alone. For free subscription or to make tax-deductible donations, contact editor@morningstarnews.org, or send check to Morning Star News, 34281 Doheny Park Rd., # 7022, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624, USA.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Crown of Life Blog

    Picture
    The Martyrdom of ST Stephen, Pietro da Cortona, 1660

    News and Information about
    Persecuted Christians from all around the
    World

    Persecuted saints benefit most from your heartfelt and earnest prayer.

    Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;
    for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him
    .
    James 1:12

    'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the
    devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so
    that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
    Revelation 2:10

    New American Standard Bible 
    (NASB)

    Copyright © 
    1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
    1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
    by
    The Lockman Foundation


    Picture

    HOW TO READ A PERSECUTION NEWS STORY

    Trials make the promise sweet;
    Trials give new life to prayer;
    Trials bring me to His feet,
    Lay me low, and keep me there.


    "God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and subjecting them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many long miles with heavy backpacks of sorrow. Well, Christian, may this not account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is the Lord bringing out your graces and making them grow? Is it for this reason He contends with you?"

    Read Why Do I Face Trials?,
    by Alistair Begg, Truth for Life Daily, at One Place

    Christian persecution is just a phenomenon in the
    Middle East.

    Christians aren’t greatly
    impacted by persecution.

    Whatever persecution there is, the damage is superficial - more a loss of multicultural diversity than anything else.

    Christians supposedly bring persecution upon themselves by proselytizing.

    Persecution couldn’t
    happen here.

    Please read 5 Myths about Persecution of Christians, by
    Kristin Wright, at Religion Today.


    Share



    email the webmaster

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    January 2018
    November 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012