World

Imprisoned Iranian pastor faces further charges

Stephanie Wang Contributor
Font Size:

Imprisoned Iranian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, was already sentenced to death in 2010. Now he is set to be tried for new charges of crimes against national security.

A new court date has been set for Nadarkhani, who was sentenced to death for apostasy (abandonment) from Islam, FoxNews.com reported.

Nadarkhani, a pastor in a network of house churches, has been imprisoned for nearly 1,000 days. He was arrested on Oct. 13, 2009 after complaining about his son’s school starting mandatory Koran classes. He was found guilty of apostasy from Islam and sentenced to death by the Iranian Supreme Court in 2010.

He has not been acquitted of his previous charges. Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice, a human rights group, Jordon Sekulow, told FoxNews.com Nadarkhani’s apostasy charge still stands until the regime unconditionally exonerates and releases him.

His new court date is set for September 8. Present Truth Ministries, a Minnesota-based organization, released a statement Thursday that said Nadarkhani is likely to be tried for new charges of crimes against national security.

Nadarkhani’s imprisonment has received growing international news attention. The ACLJ Tweet for Youcef campaign currently has 2.5 million followers. The hope is that global support will put pressure on the Iranian government to release him.

In Iran, deaths can come at any time, without warning. Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning Nadarkhani’s imprisonment and calling for his immediate release.

Tags : iran
Stephanie Wang