Washington D.C., Mar 2, 2012 / 17:04 pm
The U.S. Congress and numerous celebrities are joining the effort to free an Iranian pastor who received the death sentence for refusing to reject his Christian faith.
On March 1, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution condemning the Iranian government for “its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing” of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani on apostasy charges.
The resolution calls on Iran to “exonerate and immediately and unconditionally release” Nadarkhani and all others who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs.
Introduced by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), the resolution observed that Iran’s own constitution recognizes religious freedom, as does the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Iran has signed.
A similar resolution is being considered by the U.S. Senate.