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Pastor to face new charges
An Iranian Pastor who has been in prison for three years, Saeed Abedini, has been told that he will face new charges.
This happened during an interrogation with Iranian intelligence officers on 22 September. Saeed faced verbal and physical abuse and was repeatedly attacked with tasers during the interrogation.
He saw his family at Rajaei Shahr Prison on 24 September and he was able to tell them about the interrogation. Saeed has been repeatedly told that his 8-year sentence could be extended by the government since he was imprisoned.
Three years on…
Saeed Abedini has been imprisoned in Iran since 26 September 2012. He converted from Islam in 2000, and since then became a prominent leader of the Iranian house church movement. He married his wife, Naghmeh, an American citizen in 2002. In 2005 they left Iran to live in the US as the government began a crackdown on house churches. But he would frequently return to Iran.
The Iranian government has claimed that Saeed has connections with anti-government groups and has made statements and taken actions against the government. Saeed denies these allegations. He has consistently asserted, during interrogations and at trial, that he poses no threat to the government and was in Iran to help with the building of a government-approved orphanage.
In 2009 Saeed had been warned about his involvement with house churches and so had focused on humanitarian activities during subsequent visits to Iran. Saeed was detained in 2012, while visiting his parents and conducting humanitarian aid work, and in January 2013 he was convicted on charges relating to anti-state activities (derived from his involvement with house fellowships) and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
Naghmeh and their two children are in the US.
Source: MEC
Please pray…
- That no new charges will be brought against Saeed
- That he will receive the medical care he needs and will be released soon
- For strength for Saeed’s wife Naghmeh, their two children and the wider family
- That Saeed and all other prisoners in Iran will be treated with respect and dignity
- For freedom for all imprisoned Christians in Iran
We support people who are beaten, tortured,
imprisoned, falsely accused, and hated simply for following Jesus.
