Free Republic

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was originally sentenced to death in his native country for his Christian faith, was acquitted of apostasy charges and released from custody. Nadarkhani, 32, was imprisoned for three years and waiting execution for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. His charges were lowered to evangelizing to Muslims, which carried a three-year sentence. He was released with time served, according to the American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington-based watchdog group that had been campaigning for the pastor's release. "Today our sources in Iran reported that Pastor Youcef was acquitted of apostasy and released from...

On 8 September, Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani will appear in court again, this time to face new charges that may be related to crimes against national security. Pastor Nadarkhani has spent over 1,000 days in prison since he was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2010. He has been in court several times and been given the opportunity to recant his faith to see the death sentence lifted. Each time, he refused. CSW has been campaigning for him since his arrest, and the international pressure on his case has so far helped to delay his execution. Now, the Iranian authorities are...

Those close to the case of a Christian pastor in Iran who's facing a death sentence for refusing to recant his faith now fear he could be killed any day now. The American Center for Law and Justice warned there is an "increased likelihood" that the execution order against Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been signed and could be carried out at any time. "The likelihood that the Iranian regime will execute him increases by the day," ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow said. He added that the situation is more "dire" than ever. Meanwhile, several members of Congress have joined the...

The American Center for Law and Justice, focusing on constitutional and international law, said today it has received information that Iran may have issued an execution order for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was sentenced to death because he refused to recant his Christian faith. The ACLJ is working to determine whether Pastor Youcef is still alive. "As of today, we cannot confirm that Pastor Youcef is alive," said Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the ACLJ. "The news out of Iran is not encouraging. With Iran now dominating international headlines because of its military actions, it's clear Iran may have decided...

The push by the Iranian government to execute a Christian pastor is accelerating. Iranian state news is spreading false reports that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was not convicted of converting from Islam to Christianity, but is instead charged with Zionism and security-related crimes – the worst possible charge that can be leveled against someone in Iran. News reports confirm that this is the charge used by Iran to carry out executions when Iran is facing international pressure. The ACLJ is continuing to work with Congressional leaders, the United Nations, international media, and Pastor Youcef’s attorney in Iran to pressure Iran for...