As some may have been following, Youcef's case had been turned over to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is supposed to be making the final decision on whether Pastor Youcef will live or die. Khamenei has ultimate authority over Iran’s judiciary matters, and is expected to announce Nadarkhani’s fate by Nov. 2.
“The ayatollah can make any decision he wants. He controls the judiciary, who’s executed, who’s not executed, the military. The list goes on,” Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, told The Christian Post.
According to a statement released by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Nadarkhani is not the only imprisoned Christian receiving persecution in Iran.
Iran has recently been cracking down on the Church of Iran, arresting pastors for “actions against the security the state” and transferring Christian prisoners to torture oriented prisons, so as to set an example for others.
According to CSW, one member of the church of Iran, Mehdi Furutan, has recently been transferred to an underground cell in the Adelabad Security Prison, which has a reputation for torturing prisoners.
“There is an increasing tendency by Iranian courts and officials to characterize legitimate Christian activities as crimes against the state,” CSW has said.
Although Iran’s court system strives to quell Christianity in Iran, the ACLJ contends that international pressure helps keep victims of religious persecution alive.
One Middle Eastern analyst told the ACLJ that international pressure “may be the only reason [Nadarkhani is] still alive.”
According to Sekulow of ACLJ, Iran’s court has a history of prolonging court cases in order to diffuse international attention. Therefore, CSW and ACLJ encourage religious leaders and various countries to urge Iran to stop religious persecution practices.“Our real goal is to keep [Nadarkhani’s] case in the spotlight,” Sekulow told The Christian Post.
Now there are new reports from Christian Solidarity Worldwide that Pastor Youcef and others have been given Islamic literature while in prison, which some say is a way that may be used to entrap him.
Katherine Weber at The Christian Post wrote the following concerning this situation:
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) identifies two motives for providing Nadarkhani with literature; either to instigate a Christian response, which would result in an additional charge of blasphemy in court, or to convince him to recant his Christian faith.
“It is no surprise that security agents, who answer directly to the Supreme Leader, would try to either do away with the case or provide an alternative justification for continued punishment,” contends the ACLJ.
According to Dr. Khataza Gondwe, Team Leader for Africa and Middle East at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Christian prisoners who receive such literature have been advised to practice caution when responding to official interrogation pertaining to it.
Gondwe told The Christian Post that if prisoners read the literature and respond when interrogated, it must be “done very carefully because [the prisoners] may be open to further charges,” including blasphemy against Islam.
Please keep praying for him and the OTHERS in prison for their faith too!
Ok guys, there is a LOT of misinformation circulating about Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. I saw a blog by CNN dated for 13th October 2011 whose blog title was misleading & claiming that Nadarkhani's Lawyer spoke to CNN directly:
"Mohammad Dadkah, Nadarkhani's lawyer, confirmed the Supreme Court's statement [re-trial] in a Thursday conversation with CNN."
However, the American Center for Law & Justice says a re-trial is a LIE. This statement was put out by the ACLJ as of Friday October 14, 2011:
Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s attorney in Iran, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who we have been working with closely on this case, has just confirmed to the ACLJ that there has been no retrial ordered by the Iranian Supreme Court.
As we have been explaining, the media’s reports about a “retrial” in this case mistakenly refer to a hearing that already occurred on September 25-28th, in which Pastor Youcef was ordered to recant his Christian faith or die. As you know, he responded, “I cannot.”
His attorney in Iran also confirmed that the court has requested that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei weigh in on Pastor Youcef’s death sentence. Dadkhah says that while the Ayatollah can delay providing an opinion as long as he wants, he believes the response will come within the next 20 days.
Dadkhah stressed that NOW is the best time in the last two years to put pressure on the Iranian regime (and especially the Ayatollah). He also said that it is important that the United Nations (U.N.), the Special Rapporteurs on Iran and freedom of conscience, and the Pope be pressured to call for Pastor Youcef’s release.
Eighty-nine Members of Congress just sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Clinton urging her to engage the U.N. and pressure Iran to free Pastor Youcef. The ACLJ, through our international affiliate the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), has also sent a letter directly to the U.N. urging direct action to engage Iran to save this Pastor’s life.
As Pastor Youcef’s attorney said, now is the time to engage. If you have not already done so, please join tens of thousands of Americans in signing ourpetition to pressure Iran for Pastor Youcef’s release, and continue to share his story on Facebook and Twitter.
Dadkhah also confirmed that he has appealed his own nine-year prison sentence for representing human rights cases, like Pastor Youcef’s. His appeal could takes months to be considered and Iranian authorities could pick him up and enforce that sentence at any time, leaving Pastor Youcef without legal representation in Iran.
Dadkhah further indicated to us that the Iranian regime is now threatening him for embarrassing Iran and the Iranian judicial system. At this point, he may no longer be able to speak freely to the American press. He is clearly weighing the cost of facing imprisonment, which leaves Youcef with no representation, and no longer asking for international pressure in statements to the American media.
We have been speaking out, asking for congressional letters, statements from the United Nations, and international pressure directly at the request of Dadkhah, Youcef’s attorney. The only reason this case has gone to the Ayatollah, is because of international pressure. The only reason that Iranian state media has been trying to back peddle away from the execution sentence is because of international pressure, and it is the only reason that Pastor Youcef is still alive. We must keep up the international pressure in order to save his life.
Since I know the ACLJ is working VERY closely with Pastor Youcef's Lawyer, I trust their information over CNN- who only recently started talking about the case about a week ago.
To: All American Citizens
From: U.S. Embassy Kuwait-Consular Section
Subject: Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens 2011-17
Worldwide Travel Alert
U.S. Department of State
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the potential for anti-U.S. actions following the disruption of a plot, linked to Iran, to commit a significant terrorist act in the United States. This Travel Alert expires on January 11, 2012.
An Iranian-born U.S. citizen, working on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force -designated by the Treasury Department in 2007 for its support of terrorism - is suspected of conspiring to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States. The U.S. government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian Government on terrorist activity against diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United States.
U.S. citizens residing and traveling abroad should review the Department's Worldwide Caution and other travel information when making decisions concerning their travel plans and activities while abroad. U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
(STEP). U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the embassy/consulates to contact them in case of emergency.
Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. Follow us
on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.
The U.S. Embassy Kuwait is located at Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa Street, Block 6, Plot 14, Bayan, Kuwait. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of emergency assistance in Kuwait, you may reach the U.S. Embassy by calling +965-2259-1001 and requesting the duty officer.
American citizens in Kuwait who would like to receive future Warden Messages from the Embassy directly by e-mail may sign up for this service by sending an e-mail to the following address: join-wardenmessagekuwait@mh.databack.com
This message may be accessed on the Embassy website, http://kuwait.usembassy.gov
Please note that the Consular Section is closed for U.S. and most local holidays. The current holiday schedule for 2011 is posted on http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/holidays.html.
If you're looking for the most recent updates, please keep checking back on the main page of my blog (click on "Adventures in Kuwait"). I post the most recent news as each day passes. You can also look to the right & see at least the 5 most recent blog posts.
The video above is the most recent update as of 12 October 2011.
Iran: The court case of an Iranian pastor facing a possible death sentence for apostasy is being referred to Iran's supreme leader, the pastor's lawyer told AFP on Monday.
However the move to involve him in the case is unusual, and suggested that a final verdict in the case -- which has garnered international attention -- could be delayed.
Nadarkhani's lawyer had previously been expecting a verdict any time from last Saturday.
Nadarkhani, a 32-year-old pastor of a small evangelical community called the Church of Iran, was arrested in October 2009 and condemned to death under Islamic sharia law for converting to Christianity when he was 19.
Sharia law allows for such verdicts to be overturned if the convicted person "repents" and renounces his conversion. After his conviction was upheld by an appeals court in Gilan province in September 2010, Nadarkhani turned to the supreme court. In July, the supreme court overturned the death sentence and sent the case back to the court in his hometown of Rasht, in Gilan province.
Several Western countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, have condemned the death sentence against Nadarkhani and called for his release.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has also urged Iran to free Nadarkhani and "respect its international human rights commitments."
On September 30, Gilan's deputy governor general said Nadarkhani should not face the death penalty for apostasy, but also referred for the first time to "security crimes" allegedly committed by the pastor whom he labelled a "Zionist". But Dadkhah said the only charge stated in the case was related to apostasy.
"The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes."
There is a major development today in the fight to put pressure on Iran for Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s release. Congressmen Joe Pitts (PA-16) and Heath Shuler (NC-11) are leading a bipartisan effort to save Pastor Youcef. They are sending a letter to Secretary of State Clinton calling on her to “use all the powers at your disposal” for “swift engagement with the international community to advocate for his release.”
This letter is still gaining signatures from Members of Congress. Currently, thirty-nine Members of Congress, including thirteen Democrats, have signed on to this letter, and that number continues to grow by the hour. Of critical importance, one of the early signatories for this letter is Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-5) – the first Muslim elected to Congress.
An early draft of the letter provided to the ACLJ states:
We implore you to raise your voice at this critical juncture on behalf of Pastor Nadarkhani. We must not stand by while the Iranian Regime executes a man who has committed no crime.
We will continue to update you as Congressional support for this important letter grows. The following is the most current list of Members of Congress who have signed on to this letter. Representatives:
Ms. Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist detained in Iran’s Evin Prison in 2009, is the author of “Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran” (HarperCollins, 2010).
(6 October 2011) Just after my release from a Tehran prison in May 2009, an Iranian prisoner wrote an open letter entitled, “I wish I were a Roxana.” Haleh Rouhi, a follower of Iran’s minority Baha’i faith, was serving a four-year sentence for antiregime propaganda, although she said she was simply “teaching the alphabet and numbers” to underserved children.
She was happy I was released but wondered how her case differed from mine and why she had to remain in prison. “What kind of justice system condemned [Roxana] to such punishment,” Ms. Rouhi asked, “and which justice freed her at such speed?”
I asked myself the same question. Why was I released after 100 days, having appealed an eight-year prison sentence for a trumped-up charge of espionage? What is clear is that as a foreign citizen, I was fortunate to receive international support, while the plights of other innocent prisoners were less known outside Iran.
Last month, two American men incarcerated in Iran on accusations of espionage and crossing the border illegally—charges they contested—were freed after being sentenced to eight years in prison. Their release is welcome news and cause for relief.
At the same time, ordinary Iranians are suffering mounting abuses and prolonged imprisonment for exercising their basic human rights, making Haleh Rouhi’s question as valid today as it was two years ago. Officials from several countries have called for the release of a handful of Iran’s wrongfully imprisoned men and women, but this pressure is rarely consistent—and most of Iran’s hundreds of prisoners of conscience have never gained the attention of foreign governments or mainstream news media. The international community needs to apply the same pressure on Tehran to release these prisoners as it has for high-profile Western citizens.
At least 28 of Iran’s prisoners of conscience are journalists, according to the media rights group Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Iran the third largest jail for journalists in the world after Eritrea and China. In addition, six Iranian filmmakers were recently arrested for allegedly cooperating with BBC Persian. (The station insists no one in Iran works for it.)
Well-known attorneys such as Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been sentenced to six years in prison, also are locked up in Iran. Last month, Abdolfattah Soltani, who like Ms. Sotoudeh defended many political prisoners, was arrested for the third time. I first heard of his courage from my cellmates in Tehran’s Evin Prison. I requested that he represent me, but the prosecutor threatened me against retaining “a human rights lawyer.”
Mr. Soltani was arrested while he prepared to defend several Baha’is detained for providing higher education to other Baha’is barred from university in Iran because of their religion. He was also an attorney for my two Baha’i cellmates, Fariba Kamalabadi and Mahvash Sabet, who are each serving 20-year prison sentences for various unsubstantiated charges including espionage.
Most recently, the headlines have focused on Youcef Naderkhani, a Christian convert from Islam who faces possible execution after refusing to renounce his faith.
Many of Iran’s prisoners of conscience have suffered torture—both physical and psychological. It is common for them to be held in solitary confinement for months, even years. They often lack adequate access to their families and attorneys and go through sham trials. Some are coerced to give false confessions and inform on their friends.
If detainees are lucky, their captors offer them release on bail, but the amount is typically exorbitant, and prisoners who can post it tend to live in fear that they could be sent back to jail any day. At the same time, a rising number of executions has made Iran the world’s largest executioner on a per capita basis. According to Amnesty International, in 2010, at least 23 Iranian prisoners convicted of politically motivated offenses were executed.
The Iranian regime needs to address human rights violations instead of denying their existence. If Tehran has nothing to hide, it would permit the recently appointed United Nations special rapporteur on human rights to enter the country. Tehran should also grant access to several other U.N. special experts who have been blocked from visiting since 2005.
U.N. officials—particularly Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay—plus member states and other individuals must place constant pressure on Tehran just as they have in cases such as mine. This will bring attention and justice to the real heroes, the everyday Iranians in prison for pursuing universal human rights and demanding respect for human dignity.
International pressure might not always result in their freedom, but at least they will know they are not alone and can gain courage to carry on. And it can help Iranian authorities realize that the many faces of their justice system will only continue to isolate the Islamic Republic among the family of nations.
Pastor Nadarkhani’s trial ended on 28 September, and sources close to Christian Solidarity Worldwide indicate that the judges should issue their final ruling on and announce a timeframe for execution within one week. However, others fear that the death sentence could be implemented without any prior announcement, as has occurred in the past in Iran.
CSW is continuing to advocate on behalf of Pastor Nadarkhani - speaking up, raising awareness among the international community and media, and urging key international players to intervene on his behalf .
Continued international vigilance and pressure is vital: the life of this man is still very much in the balance.
Global response to Nadarkhani’s case
CSW has been advocating for urgent international action to prevent the pastor’s execution. As the momentum has grown, statements condemning the sentence have been issued by various international politicians, including UK Foreign Secretary William Hague,; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,; President Obama’s press secretary; the governments of France, Canada and Uruguay, and EU Representative for Foreign Affairs Baroness Ashton.
Prominent national and international media outlets have featured the case, including: The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, New Statesman, The Washington Post, Voice of America, SkyNews, ITN, Business Week, CNN and the BBC.
Within one week CSW’s campaign has mobilised over 40,000 activists through social media and the CSW website. The Facebook page group in support of Pastor Nadarkhani counts 11,400 international members. Thousands of people worldwide are praying and protesting locally.
Pastor Nadarkhani's case: Timeline
Oct 2011 - A final written verdict by the court is expected on Monday 10 October. As we wait for the formal verdict to come through, Pastor Nadarkhani’s life is in the balance. No conclusions should be drawn on this case until this verdict is received.
Sept 2011 - Pastor Nadarkhani was put on trial again from 25 to 28 September. In a session on 25 September, the court in Rasht ruled that the pastor had not practiced Islam as an adult, but still upheld the charge of apostasy because of the his Muslim ancestry. From 26- 28 September he appeared in court three times, and was asked each day to renounce his faith in order to secure an annulment of the apostasy charge and a lifting of the death sentence. He refused each time. On 28 September, Pastor Nadarkhani’ lawyer, Mr Mohammed Ali Dadkah, presented the final defense.
The conviction and sentence are illegal under Iranian law, since the penal code does not specify death for apostasy. They also violate article 23 of the Iranian Constitution, which states that no-one should be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief. Moreover, the conviction and sentence are in violation of international covenants to which Iran is signatory, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of religion and the right to change one’s religion.
July 2011 – A written verdict was received by Pastor Nadarkhani’s lawyer; however, it was dated June 2011. Contradicting a verbal verdict received earlier, the written verdict upheld the death sentence , but included a provision for its annulment if Pastor Nadarkhani renounced his faith. The Supreme Court also asked the court in Rasht to re-examine whether or not Pastor Nadarkhani had been practicing Islam as an adult prior to adopting Christianity.
June 2011 - The appeal was heard by the Supreme Court of Iran and verbal notification of a lifting of the death sentence was given.
December 2010: Nadarkhani’s lawyer filed an appeal.
November 2010: the written verdict from the September trial was received by Pastor Nadarkhani’s legal team, confirming the verbal notification of a death sentence for apostasy,
Sept 2010 - Pastor Nadarkhani was tried and found guilty of apostasy (abandoning Islam) by the Assize court of Gilan province in Rasht, and received verbal notification of a death sentence, despite the fact that death for apostasy is not codified in the Iranian Penal Code. The court used a loophole in Iran’s constitution, basing their verdict on fatwas (religious rulings) by Grand Ayatollah Khomeini, the “father” of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, and Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, currently the most influential religious leader in the country
Oct 2009 - Pastor Nadarkhani was arrested, soon after questioning of the Muslim monopoly of the religious instruction for children of Iran, which he felt was unconstitutional..
Iranian Officials Interview Pastor Nadarkhani By Michael Ireland
RASHT, IRAN(ANS) -- Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been tried and convicted of apostasy, but who is facing new charges by Iranian authorities, has been interviewed by visiting government officials from the capital, Tehran.
According to Jason DeMars of Present Truth Ministries (www.presenttruthmn.com): “Today, Wednesday, October 5th, a group of officials from Tehran interviewed Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani about the behavior of the judges and the charges filed against him.
“It seems like a positive development, however, in Iran only the facts must be considered. Some observers are concerned that they could manipulate his words in order to prove their false charges against him,” DeMars told ANS in an e-mail update.
DeMars said: “We have been informed that the verdict has been delayed and is now to be delivered on Monday, October 10th. The delay could be interpreted as a sign that the judges have decided to consult with key religious and political leaders, such as the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”
In his update, DeMars explained that: “Gilan province, Chief Justice, Mohammad-Javad Heshmati, was quoted by Iran Press TV as saying, ‘Youssef Nadar-Khani has been charged with a crime and is in a prison based on an arrest warrant issued against him. . . . There has been no execution order. No conviction at all has been issued yet and it is up to the court to finally decide the verdict after studying his case.’
“Now, Iran’s judiciary is on record telling a blatant lie,” DeMars stated.
According to observers, the statements by Deputy Governor Ali Rezvani, regarding the charges of “Zionism” and crimes against national security, demonstrate that there is pressure to bypass the legal system and execute him.
“Ali Rezvani is a hardliner and has shown that he is an enemy of Christians. According to some, Mr. Rezvani is the individual who pressured the judiciary to bring these charges against brother Youcef,” DeMars said.
He added: “We ask that you pray for both of these officials. Pray that God touches their hearts and opens their hearts and minds to the Gospel and the forgiveness offered in Jesus Christ. Of course, pray for brother Youcef, his wife Tina, and sons Daniel and Joel.”
Over 50,000 people have already emailed the Iranian embassies around the world – add YOUR VOICE to theirs and support Pastor Nadarkhani.
