IRAN: Next 24 hours critical to stop the execution of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani
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These are the facts from the web page asking you to get involved:
The facts:
– Pastor Nadarkhani is repeatedly being asked by the court in Rasht to renounce his faith in order to avoid execution and that the last chance he will be given to do so is tomorrow (Wednesday 28th September), after which he could be executed at any time.
– Pastor Nadarkhani has been charged, and faces execution, solely on the basis of his adopting Christian faith. As such, the Islamic Republic of Iran is violating its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 18 includes a provision for the right to “have or to adopt” a religion, which has been interpreted authoritatively by the UN Human Rights Committee as including the right to change one’s religion.
– Iran’s constitution sanctions Christianity as a legitimate minority faith and asserts that Christians are allowed to freely carry out their religious rites. Article 23 asserts that no one may be “reprimanded simply because of having a certain belief”.
Fox News is reporting that they are hopeful that the pastor will be acquitted. You can read their article here!
Here are some excerpts for those of you that do not have time to go read the article:
The lawyer of an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his Christian faith is hopeful an appeals court will acquit his client.
Attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah says he believes in a “95 percent chance” of acquittal for 32-year-old Yusuf Naderkhani.
Dadkhah told The Associated Press on Thursday that he has appeared before the appeals court over the past four days and expects a ruling by the end of next week.
He says neither Iranian law nor clerics have ever stipulated the death penalty as punishment for converting from Islam to Christianity.
The pastor would rather die than renounce Jesus Christ as his Saviour! He is a modern day hero of the faith.
When asked to repent, Nadarkhani stated: “Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?”
“To the religion of your ancestors, Islam,” the judge replied, according to the American Center for Law & Justice.
“I cannot,” Nadarkhani said.
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