Did You Know...

Christian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani still faces the death penalty in Iran because he refuses to renounce his faith. The vigilant defenders of religious freedom at the ACLJ continue to monitor the case and work for Pastor Nadarkhani’s freedom.

Here is the very latest — word is that the execution order has been officially handed down:

We are hearing reports from our contacts in Iran that the execution orders for Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani may have been issued.

Pastor Youcef’s situation – an innocent man convicted and sentenced to death for becoming a Christian – has not been this dire since we first brought his case to your attention last year.

It is unclear whether Pastor Youcef would have a right of appeal from the execution order. We know that the head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, must approve publicly held executions, but only a small percentage of executions are held public—most executions in Iran are conducted in secret.

There has also been a disturbing increase in the number of executions conducted by the Iranian regime in the last month.

Iran is actively violating its human rights obligations by sentencing and detaining Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. We call on the Iranian government to release Pastor Youcef immediately.

Keep the pastor and his family in his prayers.

Tweet the State Department here.

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10/4/11 Pastor Nadarkhani update: Bogus charges, renewed call for action

9/29 Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces execution for refusing to renounce Christianity: Where are the Hollyweirdos and Euroweenies now?; Update: White House statement; Britain, EU stand up

9/30 Pastor Nadarkhani update: State Department, Boehner weigh in