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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