Youcef Nadarkhani and Rimsha Masih

-- Two Christian prisoners walk 'free'

By Elizabeth Kendal
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) 176 
Special to ASSIST News Service

AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Over the weekend of 8-9 September two persecuted, imprisoned and much-prayed-for Christians -- Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (34) of Iran and Rimsha Masih (14) of Pakistan -- walked free from their cells into the warm embrace of family. While we praise and thank the LORD for granting these blessings, we must recognise that these battles are not over. We must persist in prayer.

PASTOR YOUCEF NADARKHANI (IRAN)

On Saturday 8 September, after more than 1000 days in jail, Youcef Nadarkhani -- the sorely persecuted pastor who repeatedly refused to renounce his LORD -- emerged a free man, unbroken. The court acquitted Nadarkhani of apostasy, the charge for which he had been sentenced to death. According to Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, Nadarkhani's lawyer, the court 'finally accepted our argument' that Iran's penal code did not 'criminalise apostasy' (Financial Times, 9 Sep). However, the court did find Nadarkhani guilty of 'evangelising Muslims'. For this 'crime' he was sentenced to three years imprisonment but granted time served and released.

While we rejoice that Pastor Youcef is out of jail, enjoying the fellowship of believers and the joyful, tender warmth of his wife and sons, we must remember that Nadarkhani's life might be more at risk now than ever. Iran's penal code might not criminalise apostasy but Islamic Sharia law does. Furthermore, as this prayer mini stry previously cautioned in RLPB 173, 'by launching a new trial with unprovable accusations [extortion and banditry], the regime may be seeking to "wash its hands" publicly of Nadarkhani and release him to the Islamists and secret police while declaring itself "innocent of this man's blood" (after the manner of Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:24), as has happened before in Iran.' Furthermore, a second conviction of 'evangelising Muslims' would doubtless be punished more severely than the first. We must also remember that numerous Iranian Christians remain in prison, including Pastor Behnam Irani (41; married, with two children) who is gravely ill.

RIMSHA MASIH (PAKISTAN)

Rimsha Masih (14) was granted bail on 7 September but could not leave prison until adequate security was arranged. On Sunday 9 September she was transported in a bulletproof armoured vehicle to a helicopter that flew her to a secret location where she should be safe from the radicalised Muslim mobs that demand her death. 

Rimsha will face court again on Sunday 16 September and should be acquitted. Having been accused of blasphemy, Rimsha in reality is not safe anywhere in Pakistan -- her innocence is irrelevant! Unless the family is removed to a safe-haven in the West, she will eventually be killed -- probably sooner rather than later.

Whilst Rimsha's plight is terrible, what it says about the Pakistani society in which Christians have to live is far worse. And because the authorities have been able to turn this case into one about age and mental capacity (Rimsha is a mentally impaired juvenile) and a local imam has been accused of evidence-tampering, they have been able to whitewash the whole crisis completely so that it is no longer about the blasphemy law and endemic religious hatred at all. The danger is, that with the next crisis waiting in the wings, the real issues are not being addressed. A few voices of protest and disgus t are being raised, warning that Pakistan will be torn apart unless Wahhabi Saudi Arabian, Sunni fundamentalist ideology is countered. However, political courage is in short supply.

While we rejoice that Rimsha is out of jail and back in the comforting arms of her loving parents, we must resist the temptation to cry 'peace, peace' when there is no peace! At this stage, nothing has changed in Pakistan.

[For more details see Pakistan: religious hatred not being addressed

Religious Liberty Monitoring, 5 Sep 2012]

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL --

• intervene in Iran and (as in RLPB 128) 'redeem the suffering of Iran's Church, so that this persecution will actually have the opposite effect to what is intended. (Habakkuk 2:14)'
  
• intervene i n Pakistan and (as in RLPB 173) 'redeem all this appalling suffering, and use it to shame and awaken Pakistani Muslims to the ugliness that has engulfed them, softening their hearts to the Good News so that they and even their whole communities can be radically transformed. (Isaiah 2:2-4)'

'Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.' (Psalm 126:6 TNIV)

• be a strong shield and fortress around Youcef Nadarkhani and Rimsha Masih as well as all their family members; may angels guard them, and may those who seek to kill them be frustrated and ashamed. (Isaiah 26:1-6 and Psalm 141:8-10)

Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani to Face New Charges in Iran

A Source Says That ‘Banditry and Extortion’ Will Replace ‘Apostasy’ Charge

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
ASSIST News Service (ANS)

IRAN (ANS) -- A 35-year-old Christian pastor, who has spent nearly three years behind bars in Iran and has been sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his faith, has been ordered to appear in court next month, where he is expected to face new charges.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani faces new charges

According to the Farsi Christian News Network (www.fcnn.com) the charges of “banditry and extortion” will replace “apostasy” for Youcef Nadarkhani.

“The new leveled charges raise concern that following widespread international criticism about the ruling issued for Mr. Nadarkhani, Iranian authorities wish to influence the case process by bringing up arbitrary charges. The new trial adds to these concerns,” said a spokesperson for FCCN.

The news service went on to quote the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, which said that Pastor Youcef will be put on a new trial on Monday, August 27.

Nadarkhani, who refused to repent from being a Christian in earlier judicial proceedings and faces a death sentence, is now facing these new charges of “banditry and extortion.”

The Christian pastor’s earlier charges were “apostasy” and “converting to Christianity,” but the new charges of “banditry and extortion” were first mentioned last year on the Farsi News Agency (http://english.farsnews.com).

FCCN said that a source close to the case of Youcef Nadarkhani “who wishes to remain anonymous on security grounds” told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that, “Mr. Nadarkhani’s ‘banditry’ charges are fundamentally meaningless; he is not a thief or a bandit. This is a new accusation leveled against him for unknown reasons.”

Youcef Nadarkhani was born to Muslim parents and converted to Christianity at the age of 19.

Nadarkhani’s death sentence on charges of apostasy was upheld by Branch 11 of Gilan Province’s Appeals Court on August 23, 2010. On June 28, 2011, Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the ruling, but made the decision conditional on Nadarkhani’s repentance. There were three court sessions between September 25 and September 28, 2011 in which Youcef Nadarkhani was asked to repent and he refused. Nadarkhani is currently in detention inside Rasht Prison.

On September 30, 2011, the charge of “extortion” was mentioned for the first time on an Iranian website in a news article about Nadarkhani. The article claimed that Youcef Nadarkhani is accused of rape and repeated extortion. “Youcef Nadarkhani has [committed] security crimes and had set up a house of corruption. This individual is a criminal and his crime is not inviting some to the religion of Christianity, but he has security crimes. Nadarkhani’s death sentence has been issued for security crimes,” it quoted Gholamali Rezvani, Deputy Governor of Gilan for Security.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, Nadarkhani’s lawyer, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran at the time, “If he is under trial in another court on other charges, I am not aware. But we only defended him against the death sentence in the case of his charge of apostasy. The charge the court staff announced that I defended during several different court sessions was apostasy and no other charge.”

“The new leveled charges raise concern that following widespread international criticism about the ruling issued for Mr. Nadarkhani, Iranian authorities wish to influence the case process by bringing up arbitrary charges. The new trial adds to these concerns,” said the FCCN spokesperson.

In his interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran today, the source referred to evidence in Youcef Nadarkhani’s case. “In his defense documents, there is a hand-written letter from the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, in which he explicitly wrote about Youcef Nadarkhani that he “must not be executed”. His lawyer, Mr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, presented this note as evidence in the case, as well as other legal reasoning why he should not be executed,” said the source.

“We are sure that Youcef Nadarkhani will be exonerated and released, because so far as we have seen, even the Chief Justice does not believe in his execution, and it is only the Judge who keeps insisting on it,” the source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

Clock ticking for Senate resolution

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
 (Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Iran (MNN) ― The U.S. resolution calling for the release of Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is now one step closer to a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Senate Resolution 385 was passed unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this past Tuesday, June 19.

When Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested in Iran on October 2009, it was on the charge of apostasy. Lyndsay Vessey with Open Doors USA says that while the case has gone up and down, Nadarkhani remains steadfast behind bars. “He’s been in prison for well over a year, but he’s been told that if he recants his faith and returns to Islam, he will be released. But he’s not been willing to do that.”

Senate Resolution 385, drafted by Sen. David Vitter, R-LA “condemn[s] the Government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of Youcef Nadarkhani on the charge of apostasy.”

The resolution is partnered with House Resolution 556 which passed on a unanimous vote earlier this year. The Senate resolution was introduced the same day the House resolution passed.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an organization that fights religious discrimination, says this Senate resolution “could not come at a more important time with Pastor Youcef's attorney continuing to face imprisonment himself.”

Nadarkhani’s lawyer, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, is facing nine years of jail time after being sentenced with “acting against the national security.” Dadkhah has not been granted trial.

The clock is ticking for this resolution to go to the Senate for a vote before control switches hands in the upcoming election season. If the Senate resolution is not completely passed through all the systems and signed into recognition before a new Senate session begins at the end of the presidential elections, the resolution will start back again at square one.

Some may wonder whether a resolution from the United States can really make a difference in Nadarkhani’s case and call Iran to accountability. Vessey considers, “When the U.S. government speaks out, it does let the Iranian government know that they are being watched. And it also, I think, gives hope to those who are suffering persecution.”

Pray for Senate Resolution 385 to be put to a vote in the Senate quickly and pass through with little trouble. Pray for courage for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and his family, and for religious persecution in Iran to diminish in the face of the Gospel.

Iran Claims Pastor Nadarkhani Won’t Be Executed

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

NEW YORK (ANS) -- An Iranian official has refuted claims of plans to execute imprisoned pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been imprisoned for almost three years on accusations of apostasy, a crime where one disaffiliates themselves from a religion, according to Huffington postwww.huffingtonpost.com .

The website says the refutation came after human rights investigator Ahmed Shaheed delivered a recent report to the United Nations.

The UN report, in addition to citing Iran's "striking pattern of violations of fundamental human rights guaranteed under international law" and the country's "maltreatment of prisoners, dissidents, minorities and women," also called for the release of Nadarkhani, according to FOX News.

The Iranian refutation called Shaheed's 36-page report, which first circulated last week, "false," "fabricated," "biased" and manipulated by "certain Western countries and their cronies on the council," according to The New York Times.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (Photo via Youcef Nadarkhani Facebook page).

The Huffington Post says that Iran's insistence that Nadarkhani will not be executed is “only the latest development in an ongoing legal nightmare, during which a litany of additional accusations, including rape and extortion, have been made against the Christian pastor by the Iranian government.”

In September of last year, the Iranian Supreme Court upheld Nadarkhani's initial conviction of apostasy after he allegedly refused to recant his Christian faith, the Huffington Post website stated.

The Huffington Post added that, in February, the American Center for Law and Justice received reports that Nadarkhani had been sentenced to death for the 2010 charges -- a ruling quickly condemned by the White House in a statement.

"This action is yet another shocking breach of Iran’s international obligations, its own constitution, and stated religious values," the White House statement read. "The United States stands in solidarity with Pastor Nadarkhani, his family, and all those who seek to practice their religion without fear of persecution -- a fundamental and universal human right."

The Huffington Post says that Leonard Leo, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told the Religion News Service last year that Iran's court proceedings can't be trusted.

"The court continues to demand that he recant his faith or otherwise be executed," Leo told RNS. "The most recent court proceedings are not only a sham, but are contrary to Iranian law and international human rights standards."

The Huffington Post reports that deespite the reported execution ruling last fall, Iranian envoy Mohammad Javad Larijani told the Human Rights Council that such punishment is not permitted in Iran.

“In the last 33 years after [the Islamic] revolution, no single person has been put to death or executed or pursued for changing his religion from Islam,” Larijani told the council, according to FOX News. “Hundreds of people are changing from other religions to Islam. Why we should be so sensitive about a few people to change their religion from Islam?”

In a press release, dated March 7, which has been posted to the ALCJ website www.alcj.org , the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran at Brasilia “denies all of the News published about the death sentence of Mr. Youcef Nadarkhani, and States that the Power of the Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered no definitive sentence relative to this individual.”

The release states: “Article 13 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes followers of major Heavenly religions, including Christians, as religious minorities; accepting and assuring their rights as religious citizens. According to this Article, they are free to hold services and religious teachings and to practice civil rights based in their background.

“Also these minorities, like the other Muslim organizations inside the Constitution, have representatives in the Parliament. It also says that a peaceful living exists in the Islamic Republic of Iran between the followers of divine religions, with a sincere fatherly spirit that is established between the State and different aspects. Also, we made sure of an independent power of the Court, reminding that the referred individual was arrested based upon laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He has a lawyer who is protecting all of his legal rights, including contact with his family. Department the Press Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The release was made available to ACLJ by Department of the Press, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Rumors of Imminent Execution of Iranian Pastor Unconfirmed

Lawyers await written confirmation that court issued execution order.

ISTANBUL, February 24 (CDN) — Lawyers for an Iranian pastor awaiting a final decision on his death sentence have not received communication from authorities that their client will be executed, despite reports that his death is imminent.


Rumors of an imminent execution of Yousef Nadarkhani were leaked this week after a source close to one of his lawyers contacted international media, informing them that a lower court had signed Nadarkhani’s execution papers and that his death sentence would be carried out soon, sources told Compass.


“The lawyer is waiting for confirmation, but he understood from a source that the execution was issued,” said Firouz Khandjani, a member of the council of the Church of Iran, Nadarkhani’s denomination. “Now we are trying to understand exactly what is happening. Because the information came from someone close to the lawyer, he took it seriously.”


Nadarkhani’s case had been sent to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei for a decision on his death sentence, but legally the lower court still has the authority to issue an execution order, Khandjani said. Khamenei may or may not make a decision, and if the court were to issue an execution order, Khameni would have the authority to block it, Khandjani said.


Though Nadarkhani’s lawyers have not received written confirmation of an execution order, Khandjani said he found it “worrying” that the government has repeatedly disregarded its own law and legal process in its treatment of Christians.


The Iranian government has executed prisoners without prior notice, sources told Compass, though it is not common.


“We are concerned for the safety of Christians in Iran, because the government is not respecting the law or the legal procedures,” Khandjani said. “We are waiting for a confirmation, but we have to take action, because we know of people who were executed without notification.”


Nadarkhani spoke to his wife as recently as Wednesday (Feb. 22), according to sources, and Jubilee Campaign reported that the American Center for Law and Justice had confirmed that he was still alive earlier today.


Some sources told Compass they are skeptical of the credibility of information that Nadarkhani’s lawyers received and the certainty with which international press have been reporting his “imminent death.” They say this may be a governmental ploy to gauge international reaction to such a rumor.


Christians in Iran are routinely arrested and interrogated. Most of them belong to networks of house churches meeting in small groups in secret.


In December the head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, reportedly ordered the presiding judge over the trial in Rasht to make no moves on Nadarkhani’s case for one year.


In September 2010 Nadarkhani was sentenced to death after a court of appeals in Rasht, 243 kilometers (151 miles) northwest of Tehran, found him guilty of leaving Islam. He has been in prison since October 2009.

The court in Rasht was expected to pronounce a verdict on Nadarkhani’s appeal in October 2011 but instead sent the Christian’s case to the nation’s Islamic authority, Khamenei.


At an appeal hearing in June, the Supreme Court of Iran upheld Nadarkhani’s sentence but asked the court in Rasht to determine if he was a practicing Muslim before his conversion. The court declared that Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim before his conversion, but that he was still guilty of apostasy due to his Muslim ancestry.

The Supreme Court had also determined that his death sentence could be annulled if he recanted his faith. The Rasht court gave Nadarkhani three chances to recant Christianity in accordance with sharia(Islamic law), but Nadarkhani refused to do so. The Supreme Court in essence ruled that Nadarkhani could be executed if he did not recant.


“You have to consider that Nadarkhani has been condemned twice,” Khandjani said. “One time by a local court, and then the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence.”


Authorities arrested Nadarkhani in his home city of Rasht in October 2009 on charges that he questioned obligatory religion classes in Iranian schools. After finding him guilty of apostasy, the court of appeals in Rasht in November 2010 issued a written confirmation of his charges and death sentence.

One of Nadarkhani’s lawyers, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, also faces charges for “actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime,” due to his human rights activities.


Iranian authorities view Iranian Christians as pawns of the West trying to bring down the regime, sources said. As Christians in Iran are held hostage to the government’s political whims, some Iranian Christians say the key to their freedom is continued pressure from the international community.

“We have to keep praying and sharing information about Christians in Iran, because this is a difficult moment for the people of Iran,” Khandjani said. “The minorities are particularly affected, but Iranians in general are under pressure from the government. Their freedoms are very restricted.”



END

Iranian Pastor Nadarkhani Rejects ‘Unconstitutional’ Terms of Release

By Michael Ireland
Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

 Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

RASHT, IRAN (ANS) -- Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani recently refused an offer to secure his own release by agreeing to state that the Muslim prophet Mohammed was a messenger sent by God.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says lawyers for Pastor Nadarkhani were unexpectedly summoned to his home city of Rasht on December 30, 2011.

In a media update, CSW says: “During ensuing discussions, local authorities indicated they would release the pastor if he agreed to make the statement regarding the Prophet Mohammed. However, Pastor Nadarkhani has refused to do so, and remains in prison awaiting a final decision on his case.”

Pastor Nadarkhani of the Church of Iran denomination was initially arrested in Rasht in 2009.

In September 2010 he was tried and found guilty of apostasy, and sentenced to death. After further legal wrangling in 2011 during which the pastor thrice refused to recant his faith to save his own life, his case was eventually referred to Iran’s Supreme Leader, as international pressure mounted on his behalf.

Towards the end of 2011, CSW received unconfirmed reports indicating that the case may have been passed on to the head of the Iranian judiciary, and that execution may have been delayed for up to a year to allow time to convince the pastor to renounce his faith.

CSW explains the terms of the recent offer from the Rasht officials have been described by local sources as “amounting to an indirect recantation of faith.”

CSW sources also point out that the request violates article 23 of the Iranian Constitution, which states that no-one should be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.

Jason DeMars of www.Presenttruthmn.com , says: “The Iranian regime is continuing to use pressure tactics to get Youcef to convert to Islam. This is their ultimate goal in this process.

“We ask that everyone continues to pray and to reach out to Iranian officials requesting that a verdict be issued and that Youcef be released quickly.

“According to Iranian law a verdict needs to be issued within one week of the completion of the trial. It has now been three months and even one month past what was promised in mid December.”

Pastor Nadarkhani’s case was recently highlighted by British parliamentarians on January 11, during a 90-minute debate on human rights in Iran.

CSW's Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, said: “Just as the initial conviction of Pastor Nadarkhani is illegal under Iranian law, the recent offer made by the authorities in Rasht is a violation of the Iranian constitution, and of international covenants to which Iran is a signatory that guarantee freedom of religion and freedom to change one’s religion.

“CSW continues to call for the unconditional release of Pastor Nadarkhani, and of all those imprisoned in Iran purely on account of their faith. It is vital that the international community maintains pressure on the Iranian regime until the human rights situation positively and irrevocably improves for the better.”

British MPs Highlight Nadarkhani Case and Iran’s “Appalling” Religious Freedom Violations
Meanwhile, in a 90-minute debate on human rights in Iran, the UK’s Members of Parliament yesterday highlighted the worrying situation of Pastor Nadarkhani and discussed the Iranian regime’s systematic denial of the Iranian people’s right to freedom of religion or belief.

CSW said the severe persecution faced by Christians, Baha’is, Jews and other religious minorities in Iran was highlighted as a key area of concern by various MPs, within the wider discussion on the extensive and broad-ranging human rights violations committed by the Iranian government.

Stewart Jackson MP drew heavily on Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) research to describe the problems faced by Christians, including the worrying uncertainty surrounding the Nadarkhani case, and the plight of other detainees such as Farshid Fathi and Pastor Benham Irani.

Jackson said: “Torture is used to pressure individuals to make confessions and to provide information on others. As I mentioned, exorbitant bail postings secure the release of individuals, along with illegal documents that religious detainees are forced to sign. Such documents demand an end to participation in Christian activities, the renunciation of faith, and compliance with further questioning when summoned. Laptops and mobile phones are often confiscated during raids on private Christian homes and are used to obtain information on the activities and identities of other Christians.”

Louise Ellman MP, who tabled the debate, began the proceedings by raising the plight of the severely-targeted Baha’i religious minority.

She said: “The repression takes a number of forms in an ongoing and systematic persecution. It means arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and the denial of access to higher education and areas of employment. The homes and businesses of Baha’is have been subject to arson attacks, cemeteries have been destroyed, and children have been harassed.”

According to the CSW report, MPs pressed the British Government to make representations to Iran on the issue of the Islamic Penal Bill, which is due to be passed by the Iranian parliament later this year and which may still include a clause stipulating the death penalty for male apostates, despite Iranian claims to the contrary.

Replying to the debate, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alistair Burt MP said: “We will press at the [UN Human Rights] Council in March, as we do at every Council, for Iran to deal with the record against it that colleagues have spoken about. There is no doubt that the issues raised here will continue to be raised by colleagues, but they may rest assured that their concerns are echoed by the Government. We will continue to stand up for the rights of those who are oppressed in Iran.”

CSW was commended for its work by a number of Parliamentarians, and a reference was made to CSW’s engagement with a debate on human rights in North Korea, which also took place yesterday prior to the Iran debate.

After the debate, CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW welcomes the remarks made by Members of Parliament and the response of the government during yesterday’s debate on the human rights situation in Iran, and is encouraged by the robust coverage of the widespread abuses of freedom of religion or belief in that nation.

“Given the appalling violations that religious minorities face in Iran, it is of utmost importance that the international community both stands and acts in solidarity with them, something that was well articulated in yesterday’s debate.

“CSW is committed to continuing to raise religious freedom issues in Iran with key policy shapers and decision makers until the human rights situation there is positively and irrevocably changed.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Matt Jones, Senior Public Affairs Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 7796 212 792.

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** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Decision Stalled on Iranian Pastor Sentenced to Death

Convicted of leaving Islam, Christian may have to wait one year for ruling.

ISTANBUL, December 21 (CDN) — A pastor in Iran sentenced to death for refusing to recant his faith may have to wait another year for a ruling on whether the sentence will be upheld, according to sources.

Yousef (also spelled Youcef) Nadarkhani, sentenced to death after a court of appeals in Rasht, Iran, found him guilty of leaving Islam in September 2010, has been in prison since October 2009, yet his lawyers said they were told to not expect any movement on his case for another year.

“The news we have about Yousef is not official, but that’s what the lawyers are saying,” a member of the Church of Iran who requested anonymity told Compass. “The lawyers speak to the judges’ secretaries and hear things. Rasht is not a big city, so it is easy to know what is happening.”

The head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, has reportedly ordered the presiding judge over the trial in Rasht to do nothing for one year.

The court in Rasht, 243 kilometers (151 miles) northwest of Tehran, was expected to pronounce a verdict on Nadarkhani’s appeal in October, and sources said the court’s long silence bodes ill. Instead of pronouncing a verdict, the court sent the Christian’s case to the nation’s Islamic authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, to make a ruling.

Authorities have also continued to pressure Nadarkhani to recant his faith while in prison. In September they gave him Islamic literature aimed at discrediting the Bible, according to sources, and instructed him to read it. The court reportedly has been told to use whatever means necessary to compel Nadarkhani to recant his faith.

The anonymous Christian who spoke to Compass said he didn’t believe that Nadarkhani would be executed soon, but he said authorities were tense about his case, indicating that nothing was certain.

Some Iranian Christians have said that, in the face of international outrage over the case, the government would announce a verdict near the Christmas holidays so that it would receive less notice.

Many Christians in Iran believe Church of Iran doctrine is less than Trinitarian, although the statement of faith on the church’s website (http://www.eglisediran.org/?page_id=8) indicates belief in a triune God-head of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Christian leaders in Iran have called for prayer for their leaders and congregations over the Christmas and New Year period, as there are fears that pressures on churches may intensify in the coming days, according to advocacy group Middle East Concern (MEC).

“These fears stem partly from the waves of arrests last Christmas and New Year, and also the previous year, in which several dozen believers were detained,” MEC reported in a press statement. “Two of those arrested in late December 2010, Farshid and Noorallah, remain in prison.

Farshid Fathi, 32, has been in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran since Dec. 26, 2010. He is married and has two young children. Noorollah Qabitizade, a Christian convert and a house church leader held in Ahwaz in southwestern Iran, has been in prison since Christmas Eve of last year.

Between December of last year and February, authorities arrested scores of Christians. All have been released, except for Qabitizade and Fathi.

Authorities arrested Nadarkhani in his home city of Rasht in Oct. 2009 on charges that he questioned obligatory religion classes in Iranian schools. After finding him guilty of apostasy, the court of appeals in Rasht in November 2010 issued a written confirmation of his charges and death sentence.

At an appeal hearing in June, the Supreme Court of Iran upheld Nadarkhani’s sentence but asked the court in Rasht to determine if he was a practicing Muslim before his conversion. The court declared that Nadarkhani was not a practicing Muslim before his conversion, but that he was still guilty of apostasy due to his Muslim ancestry.

The Supreme Court had also determined that his death sentence could be annulled if he recanted his faith. The Rasht court gave Nadarkhani three chances to recant Christianity in accordance with sharia(Islamic law), but Nadarkhani refused to do so. His final appeal hearings ended on Sept. 28, and the court was expected to make its final decision two weeks from the final hearing.

Nadarkhani’s lawyer, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, also faces charges for “actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime,” due to his human rights activities.

In addition, this month Iranian authorities sentenced Alireza Seyedian to six years imprisonment for being baptized in Turkey and uploading a video of his baptism to the Internet, according to Mohabat News. Seyedian is another member of the Church of Iran, and Dadkhah is also representing him.

As Christians in Iran are held hostage to the government’s political whims, some Iranian Christians say the key to their freedom is continued pressure from the international community.


END 

Iranian Court to Issue Apostasy Sentence Decision in One Month if the Ayatollah Does Not Respond

Nadarknani Verdict Expected in Mid-December, But May Be Delayed Until Christmas 


By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

RASHT, IRAN (ANS) -- Sources close to the Yousef Nadarkhani apostasy case have informed Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.co.uk that Pastor Nadarkhani’s lawyers have been told to expect a decision from the Supreme Leader in mid-December, occasioning fears that it may be issued to coincide with the Christmas season in order to avoid an international outcry.

Pastor Youcef and his wife. (Photo courteys of Present Truth Ministries).

CSW says the court in Rasht has sent two letters regarding the case to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, but is still awaiting a response.

According to CSW, other members of Pastor Nadarkhani’s denomination are also facing difficulties.

CSW has been informed that the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz has asked three Church of Iran members to surrender themselves to the authorities to begin prison sentences.

Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, Mr. Mohammad Beliad and his wife Nazly Beliad were part of a larger a group that is due to serve one year sentences for ‘crimes against the order’ following an unsuccessful appeal earlier this year. 

PastorKhanjani is also known to have been tortured during a previous imprisonment in Shiraz. Their lawyer has advised them not to present themselves until a written request has been issued.

Pastor Benham Irani of the Church of Iran is currently serving a five year sentence, whilst Farshid Fathi Malayeri, who belongs to a different denomination, remains detained without charge nearly eleven months after his arrest.

Church leader Noorollah Ghabitizadeh, who was arrested on Christmas Eve in 2010, is still being held in Ahwaz and, according to Mohabat News, has been verbally informed he may receive a death sentence. Like Pastor Nadarkhani, he too has been asked to recant his faith.

CSW’s Team Leader for Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Khataza Gondwe, said, “It is worrying that the Supreme Leader has delayed a decision on Pastor Nadarkhani’s case, leaving the pastor and his family in a distressing state of limbo. We continue to urge a swift decision, and to call for a full acquittal and release, since the verdict is in violation of Iranian law, and of the spirit of article 23 of the Iranian constitution.

“The Supreme Leader now has an opportunity to demonstrate Iran’s commitment to work within its own civil law code, where apostasy is not a codified crime, and its obligations as a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which allows for freedom of religion and belief. The international community must remain vigilant in order to ensure that the Iranian authorities cannot use a hiatus to issue a negative ruling. Iran must also be urged to cease the detention of individuals without charge, and to uphold the rights and freedoms of members of minority faiths.”

Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries www.presenttruthmn.com says Pastor Nadarkhani remains in Lakan Prison in Iran’s Gilan Province.

“He continues to stand strong in his faith and remains in good spirits and health,” DeMars told ANS.

DeMars said the 11th circuit court in Gilan is awaiting a response to their two letters that were written to the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khameini.

“One of Youcef’s attorneys stated that the court will wait for one month for a response. If they do not have it, they will issue a ruling sometime in mid-December,” he said.

Continue to pray for brother Youcef, that God would sustain him and give him courage and boldness to testify to those around him, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20).

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organization working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact the Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter

Imprisoned Pastor's Apostasy Case to be Re-examined

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
RASHT, IRAN (ANS) -- An Iranian pastor who faces the death sentence for apostasy will have his case reexamined by a lower court.

Youcef Nadarkhani and his wife. (Courtesy Present Truth Ministries).

According to Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries (www.presemttruthmn.com ) , Youcef Nadarkhani remains imprisoned in Rasht under the death sentence for apostasy while his case is being reexamined.
DeMars told ANS: “We have learned that the re-examination will take place on September 25, 2011. The local court was ordered by Branch 27 of the Supreme Court to examine specifically whether he was a practicing Muslim between the age of accountability, 15, until he became a Christian at age 19. After they review the case, it will be referred back to the Supreme Court for a final decision.”
DeMars also told ANS that Behnam Irani remains in prison in Karaj, and recently five other Christians were ordered to report to prison to serve a one year sentence in Shiraz.
“This is part of a larger campaign by the Iranian government to purge the nation of Christians. Many government-paid mullahs have issued statements during sermons encouraging the police to do more to put an end to the Christian movement in Iran,” DeMars said.
DeMars is calling on concerned believers to join him on September 24th for a day of fasting and prayer for Youcef and his case.
“Let’s join forces in this spiritual battle and keep our brother continuously covered in prayer,” he said.

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

ASSIST News Service Receives Unofficial Translation of Verdict in Youcef Nadarkhani’s Apostasy Case

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

RASHT, IRAN (ANS) -- An unofficial translation of the written verdict, delivered by the Iranian Supreme Court, in the apostasy case against Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, has now been made available to ASSIST News Service (ANS).

Jason Demars, of Present Truth Ministries (www.presenttruthmn.com  ) says there are some very significant points included in the translation obtained by his ministry, which has been monitoring Nadarkhani’s case.

“I want you to note that they include the denial of the 12th imam as one of his sins. Also, as we stated previously, if it is discovered that he was a practicing Muslim prior to becoming a Christian he must recant or else be executed by hanging,” DeMars told ANS.

Pastor Nadarkhani and his wife(Photo courtesy Present Truth Ministries). Dan: Breaking News?

He added: “Youcef was not a practicing Muslim from age 15 to 19. He was born into a Muslim family and did not truly embrace any religion prior to coming to Jesus Christ.

“We ask that you pray for him and his enemies, seek God’s deliverance for him. I also request you continue to write a letter to brother Youcef and take immediate action for brother Youcef.”

The unofficial translation of the Iranian Supreme Court’s written verdict is as follows:

“In the name of Allah

“To the lawyers of the accused (defendant)

“To the local court

“To the state court of Gilan Section 11

“December 5, 2010

“Issued by section 27 Supreme Court Judge Morteza Fazel and Azizoallah Razaghi

“Mr. Youcef Nadarkhani, son of Byrom, 32 years old, married, born in Rasht in the state of Gilan is convicted of turning his back on Islam, the greatest religion the prophesy of Mohammad, at the age of 19.

“He has often participated in Christian worship and organized home church services, evangelizing and has been baptized and baptized others, converting Muslims to Christianity. He has been accused of breaking Islamic Law that from puberty (15 years according to Islamic law) until the age of 19 the year 1996, he was raised a Muslim in a Muslim home. During court trials, he denied the prophecy of Mohammad and the authority of Islam. He has stated that he is a Christian and no longer Muslim.

“During many sessions in court with the presence of his attorney and a judge, he has been sentenced to execution by hanging according to article 8 of Tahrir -olvasileh (one of Khomeni’s books about Sharia Law and Khamenie’s and Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi’s fatwa) His sentence was appealed by his attorney and sent to the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court’s Response

“In the name of Allah

“June 12, 2011

This subpoena states:

“We know that Mr. Nadarkhani has confessed that in his heart and in his actions he has denied being Muslim and converted to Christianity and have advertised and encouraged other Muslims to convert to Christianity. And because of advertising and pastoring a church repeatedly professed his Christian faith and denied the prophet Mohammad and the 12th Imam and denied the entire Koran and truth of the Koran

.

“His case was forwarded to the Supreme Court (Judge Fazel) and

“According to Part 2 of article 265 of the Islamic Republic Criminal Law, this case received by and must be returned the state court of Gilan Section 11, and further investigated to prove that from puberty (15 years) to 19 he was not Muslim by his acquaintances, relatives, local elders, and Muslims he frequented. He must repent his Christian faith if this is the case. No research has been done to prove this, if it can be proved that he was a practicing Muslim as an adult and has not repented, the execution will be carried out.

“Signed by Morteza Fazeli and Azizollah Razaghi.”

DeMars said: “The situation is quite critical at this time. It appears that the lower court will do a re-examination of the case sometime this fall. They will interview relatives and try to determine according to their judgment whether or not Youcef was a practicing Muslim from age 15 to 19.

“I'm certain if he ever went to the Mosque or went through any Islamic rituals it will be used against him. Our greatest weapon is prayer.”

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter

Iranian Supreme Court Written Verdict Delivered in Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's Death Sentence

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

RASHT, IRAN (ANS) -- ASSIST News Service has learned that the written ruling from the Iranian Supreme Court has finally been delivered to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's attorney.

According to Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (Photo courtesy Present Truth Ministries)

(www.presenttruthmn.com ) this ruling is in response to the appeal lodged against the death sentence delivered by a lower court on charges of apostasy.

He told ANS: "We have not seen a translation yet, but Iranian sources are telling us that it does not annul the death sentence. According to one source the Supreme Court has agreed with the verdict 'as it is based on fatwas of Ayatollahs Khomeiny, Khamenei and Makarem Shirazi.'"

DeMars explained that a fatwa is a ruling concerning Islamic law. He stated that Ayatollah Khomeiny was the first Supreme leader of Iran, and is considered the father of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei is the current supreme leader, while Ayatollah Shirazi is one of the most influential religious teachers in Iran.

DeMars went on to say: "The source revealed, 'While agreeing with the death sentence, the Supreme Court pointed out procedural flaws and is asking the lower court to re-examine the case. This is the only binding point of the ruling.'"

He added: "It has been asked, 'Is there a guarantee that Youcef will not be executed between now and the time of the re-examination?' According to one Iranian source it seems there is no such guarantee."

DeMars continued: "It appears that although the written ruling upholds the death sentence, the judges would like clarification from the lower court that Brother Youcef truly was a Muslim prior to becoming a Christian. If he was, and does not recant, then he must be executed. However if he was not, the verdict of the lower court is not appropriate for this case."

Demars further stated that according to the written verdict of the lower court, Youcef said that he never really believed or genuinely practiced Islam.
"He says he was simply born into a Muslim family but did not accept it himself," DeMars said.

"Despite this statement the death sentence was still applied. After re-examing this point the judges in Rasht have the freedom to decide to (either) execute him, release him, or to hold another trial.

"At this point, the most likely outcome appears to be a re-trial later this year, perhaps in the fall. It is important to remember that the Supreme Court did not annul the verdict that was based upon the fatwas of the Supreme Leader. Brother Youcef remains under the death sentence at this time."

DeMars stated that he wanted believers around the world to know  "how encouraged we are at Present Truth Ministries by the developments in Iran.

"We believe we are beginning to see the answers to your prayers on behalf of our Brother and his family. We know that the Devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking who he can devour. Resist him in the faith, and stand before the Lord for brother Youcef. Keep writing letters, speaking to your elected officials and the representatives of Iran in your country.

"Most importantly, keep bringing your requests to God, for He is able to do far more than we can even ask or think."

Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter