Abedini's human rights and release him." Īmnesty International repeatedly raised the issue of Abedini's imprisonment, calling him a prisoner of conscience and calling upon Iran to release all those detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. State Department condemned Abedini's sentencing: "We condemn Iran's continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion, and we call on the Iranian authorities to respect Mr. In early November 2013, Abedini was transferred from Tehran to the Rajai Shahr prison in the town of Karaj, which was populated with heavy criminals and was known for placing prisoners in harsh (and sometimes life-threatening) conditions. Abedini was meant to serve his time in Evin Prison. attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam." The evidence against Abedini was based primarily on his activities in the early 2000s. According to Fox News, Abedini was sentenced for having "undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches and. On 27 January 2013, following a trial, Judge Pir-Abassi sentenced Abedini to eight years in prison. His wife, however, stated that the government "has no intention of freeing him and that the announcement is 'a game to silence' international media reports." On 21 January 2013, Iranian state media reported that Abedini would be released after posting a $116,000 bond. His supporters said his arrest was due to his conversion and attending peaceful Christianity gatherings in Iran. He was charged with compromising national security, though the specific allegations were not made public. In mid-January 2013, it was reported that Abedini would go on trial on 21 January and could face the death penalty. He was transferred to Evin Prison in late September. In July 2012, after making his ninth trip to Iran since 2009 to visit his relatives and continue to build an orphanage in the city of Rasht, Abedini was placed under house arrest by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps his passports were confiscated. As part of this same agreement, Abedini was permitted to return to Iran freely to work on non-sectarian humanitarian efforts. Ultimately, he was released after signing a pledge to cease all house-church activities in the country. According to Abedini, he was threatened with death during his interrogation over his conversion to Christianity. Ībedini's first trip back to Iran was in 2009 to visit his extended family, when government authorities detained him. Abedini lived with his family in Boise, Idaho, where his wife grew up. In 2010, he was granted American citizenship, thus becoming a dual Iranian-American citizen. In 2008, Abedini became an ordained minister in the U.S. With the election of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in 2005, however, the house-church movement was subjected to a crackdown by Iranian authorities and the Abedinis moved back to the United States. During this period, Abedini is credited with establishing about 100 house churches in 30 Iranian cities with more than 2,000 members. In the early 2000s, the Abedinis became prominent in the house-church movement in Iran when the Iranian government tolerated the movement. In 2002, Abedini met and married his wife Naghmeh, an American citizen. In particular, such converts are disallowed from worshiping with other Christians in established Christian churches, which has led to the establishment of so-called "house" or "underground" churches where these converts can worship together. While Christianity is recognized as a minority religion under the Iranian constitution, Shiʿite converts to Christianity suffer discrimination at the hands of Iranian authorities. Following international pressure, along with other American prisoners, Abedini was released from prison on 16 January 2016.īorn in Iran, Abedini is a former Shiʿite who converted to Christianity in 2000. During his imprisonment, Abedini became internationally known as a victim of religious persecution. Saeed Abedini ( Persian: سعيد عابدينی, born ) is an Iranian American Christian pastor who was imprisoned in Iran in 2012 based on allegations that he compromised national security. Naghmeh Abedini (married 2002 divorced 2017)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |