Saturday, September 8, 2012

Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Freed After 3 Years in Iranian Prison

The Iranian pastor who faced execution for refusing to renounce his Christian faith was freed Saturday after three years in prison in his native country, a group campaigning for his release said.
Youcef Nadarkhani, 32, had been jailed in Iran since 2009 on apostasy charges following his conversion to Christianity. His charges were lowered Saturday to evangelizing Muslims, a three-year penalty, but he was credited for time already served and released, Fox News reported.
“Today our sources in Iran reported that Pastor Youcef was acquitted of apostasy and released from prison. After languishing in prison for almost three years, he has been reunited with his family,” Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based American Center for Law and Justice told Fox News in a statement.
“While we are working on confirming the exact details of his release, some sources report that the court alternatively convicted Pastor Youcef of evangelizing to Muslims, sentencing him to three years and granting him time served,” he said. “Pastor Youcef’s story is an example of how the world can join together to ensure that justice is served and freedom preserved.”

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