Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, an American imprisoned in Iran on charges of evangelizing, was sentenced this morning to eight years in prison.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Abedini was verbally sentenced in Tehran by Judge Pir-Abassi, known as the “hanging judge,” to eight years in prison for threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches. He will serve the time in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, known as one of the most brutal.

The evidence, the ACLJ reports, was based on Abedini’s activities primarily during the early 2000s, when house churches were not considered a threat in Iran.

“This is a real travesty – a mockery of justice,”  Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the ACLJ, who represents Pastor Saeed’s wife and children living in the U.S., said in a statement. “From the very beginning, Iranian authorities have lied about all aspects of this case, even releasing rumors of his expected release. Iran has not only abused its own laws, it has trampled on the fundamentals of human rights. We call on the citizens of the world to rise up in protest. We call on governments around the world to stand and defend Pastor Saeed.”

Although the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement Sunday the administration is "deeply disappointed that Saeed Abedini has been sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran on a charge related to his religious beliefs. 

"We condemn Iran's continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion and we call on the Iranian authorities to release Mr. Abedini."

Meehan added that the State Department remains in close contact with Abedini.

The State Department also called for Abedini's release.

"Mr. Abedini's attorney had only one day (January 21) to present his defense, so we remain deeply concerned about the fairness and transparency of Mr. Abedini's trial," spokesman Darby Holladay said in a statement.

Iran's state news agency reported last Monday that Abedini, who was born in Iran but now lives in Idaho, would soon be free. But the report, which came on the first day of Abedini's trial, was seen by Abedini's wife, Naghmeh, as just another cruel manipulation.

“This is all a lie by the Iranian media," Naghmeh Abedini said. "This has been a repeated promise by the Iranian regime since Saeed was first thrown in prison on Sept. 26, 2012. We have presented bail. After the judge told Saeed’s lawyer that bail was back on the table, the family in Tehran ran around in circles today to make sure Saeed was let out on bail. But again the bail officer rejected bail."

She said her husband's attorney in Iran,  Nasser Sarbazi, cautioned her that the report, first carried by the state-controlled ISNA news agency and picked up by The Associated Press, did not mean her husband was closer to freedom.

The 34-year-old father of two denied evangelizing in Iran and claims he had only returned to his native land to help establish an orphanage. Authorities pulled him off a bus last August and threw him into the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran.

The exact crimes he is accused of only became public on Monday, when the prosecutor outlined charges that Abedini undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches and that he was attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam.

"This trial apparently is focused on 13 years ago, when Pastor Saeed converted from Islam to Christianity,” Sekulow said in a statement to FoxNews.com last week.

According to the ACLJ, upon hearing the news of her husband's sentence, Naghmeh Abedini said: “The promise of his release was a lie. We should not trust the empty words or promises put out by the Iranian government. These false hopes amount to psychological torture. You don’t want to trust them, but they build a glimmer hope before the crushing blow. With today’s development I am devastated for my husband and my family. We must now pursue every effort, turn every rock, and not stop until Saeed is safely on American soil.”

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/27/iran-sentences-american-pastor-saeed-abedini-to-8-years-in-prison/#ixzz2JBna0EXL

He should thank GOD that he is alive because if you convert from Islam to Christianity, death is your portion. Religion of peace is at it again.

Why can't some countries just allow people to serve whichever God they so choose.

islam is the problem in the world

Afam4eva: Why can't some countries just allow people to serve whichever God they so choose.

because of fear of losing followers and insecurity. Those islam guys feel so insecure

It's not a bad news . He will commit more crime there legally by evangelizing the prisoners

But doing dawah in the west is perfectly Ok. Shakes head...

Ok

Serves him right,having faith shouldn't be confused with having a license. God shouldn't be tempted.

ok oh!!

That law in Iran has been there since forever. Why did he break the law? He flew all the way from America to Iran to break their well established law. Are there no more Americans that need to hear the "word"

People dip their hands in fire and cry fowl.. abeg

proo212: But doing dawah in the west is perfectly Ok. Shakes head...

[size=18pt]BUT YOU CANNOT PRACTICE YOUR CHRISTIANITY IN THEIR OWN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES.

Are these people sane at all?[/size]

so so terrible!!!

i dont know what to say

A religion of peace indeed!

Muslims

Abeg make una no spoil my day with Islam news abeg. God help d guy sha.

Did you go to school at all?

saintvc: islam is the problem in the world

If he leads more people to Christ while in prison, God be praised.

Come to think of it, why have nt our private jet pastors not tried evangelizing IRAN?

but if you touch any of their members in any other countries, riots will start and lives will go for it.

after all said and done, they will claim this religion can co-exist with others; rubbish

Naija pastors especially the jet riding ones need to relocate to Iran and show them what aggressive gospel is all about.

Paris_Love:

Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, an American imprisoned in Iran on charges of evangelizing, was sentenced this morning to eight years in prison.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Abedini was verbally sentenced in Tehran by Judge Pir-Abassi, known as the “hanging judge,” to eight years in prison for threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches. He will serve the time in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, known as one of the most brutal.

The evidence, the ACLJ reports, was based on Abedini’s activities primarily during the early 2000s, when house churches were not considered a threat in Iran.

“This is a real travesty – a mockery of justice,”  Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director of the ACLJ, who represents Pastor Saeed’s wife and children living in the U.S., said in a statement. “From the very beginning, Iranian authorities have lied about all aspects of this case, even releasing rumors of his expected release. Iran has not only abused its own laws, it has trampled on the fundamentals of human rights. We call on the citizens of the world to rise up in protest. We call on governments around the world to stand and defend Pastor Saeed.”

Although the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement Sunday the administration is "deeply disappointed that Saeed Abedini has been sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran on a charge related to his religious beliefs. 

"We condemn Iran's continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion and we call on the Iranian authorities to release Mr. Abedini."

Meehan added that the State Department remains in close contact with Abedini.

The State Department also called for Abedini's release.

"Mr. Abedini's attorney had only one day (January 21) to present his defense, so we remain deeply concerned about the fairness and transparency of Mr. Abedini's trial," spokesman Darby Holladay said in a statement.

Iran's state news agency reported last Monday that Abedini, who was born in Iran but now lives in Idaho, would soon be free. But the report, which came on the first day of Abedini's trial, was seen by Abedini's wife, Naghmeh, as just another cruel manipulation.

“This is all a lie by the Iranian media," Naghmeh Abedini said. "This has been a repeated promise by the Iranian regime since Saeed was first thrown in prison on Sept. 26, 2012. We have presented bail. After the judge told Saeed’s lawyer that bail was back on the table, the family in Tehran ran around in circles today to make sure Saeed was let out on bail. But again the bail officer rejected bail."

She said her husband's attorney in Iran,  Nasser Sarbazi, cautioned her that the report, first carried by the state-controlled ISNA news agency and picked up by The Associated Press, did not mean her husband was closer to freedom.

The 34-year-old father of two denied evangelizing in Iran and claims he had only returned to his native land to help establish an orphanage. Authorities pulled him off a bus last August and threw him into the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran.

The exact crimes he is accused of only became public on Monday, when the prosecutor outlined charges that Abedini undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches and that he was attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam.

"This trial apparently is focused on 13 years ago, when Pastor Saeed converted from Islam to Christianity,” Sekulow said in a statement to FoxNews.com last week.

According to the ACLJ, upon hearing the news of her husband's sentence, Naghmeh Abedini said: “The promise of his release was a lie. We should not trust the empty words or promises put out by the Iranian government. These false hopes amount to psychological torture. You don’t want to trust them, but they build a glimmer hope before the crushing blow. With today’s development I am devastated for my husband and my family. We must now pursue every effort, turn every rock, and not stop until Saeed is safely on American soil.”

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/27/iran-sentences-american-pastor-saeed-abedini-to-8-years-in-prison/#ixzz2JBna0EXL

iran has been shouting about muslim persecution in burma now they are keeping someone in jail for what dis is simply not acceptable islam is nt a religion they ar terrorist

Area_boy: ok oh!!

That law in Iran has been there since forever. Why did he break the law? He flew all the way from America to Iran to break their well established law. Are there no more Americans that need to hear the "word"

People dip their hands in fire and cry fowl.. abeg

You obviously didnt read the report well and u have not been following the story.

This guys is Iranian American. Born and bred in Iran but converted to Islam later in his life. Met an American citizen who was on a working visit to Iran, they fell in love and he married her. He became an American citizen by marriage but still visits his family regularly in Iran. Whenever he visits Iran, he does not hide his faith involving regularly in evangelism and charity works, it should be noted that the house fellowship/eveangelism he was involved in then was not a threat until receddntly.
He was arrested the last time he was in Iran and has been detained since and his wife threatened not to come to visit him in Iran or risk been arrested.

The guy is an Iranian Christian, so one can understand his passion to reach out to folks in that Country.

May God be with him.

How do Muslims evangelize other faiths? Can non Muslim walk into a mosque to pray just like other faiths walk to churches to pray?

Hold on to ur faith brethen.if it was d holy spirit dat truely sent u to go there and preach he will definetly find a way to help u out

Oh my God, theres been a chain prayer request moving around for this guy. Thank God you saved his life. " All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose". There are souls, some blessed souls in that prison Pastor. May God protect you. It is well.

Kx: If he leads more people to Christ while in prison, God be praised.

Come to think of it, why have nt our private jet pastors not tried evangelizing IRAN?

I could not help but smile when reading this.

Good one

this is a pure persecution afterall God told us to spread d goodnews to the world and not to our catchment areas only.pray dat He will be released jux like Paul and Silas in d Bible.

He will be murdered in that prison by those who put him there, didnt u read the story? He will serve the time in Iran's notorious Evin Prison, known as one of the most brutal. they want him to die, but how manage american citizen dey answer boko haram name? Americans no fit same am o! Unless his name na mathew,peter, charles, moses, jude, dominic, francis, paul etc i know its Goodluck ebere jonathan's fault

ISLAM again? SMH! These people are really satanic! Is there no freedom of worship again? O'God y did u allow muhamed to bring problem to the world? Am really hurt now. Wish i have nukes at my disposal!