Washington D.C., Mar 12, 2013 / 17:01 pm
Efforts have intensified to free an American citizen imprisoned in Iran for his work as a Christian pastor, with religious liberty advocates appealing to both the United Nations and U.S. lawmakers.
"Saeed's imprisonment is a clear violation of the rule of law and of his fundamental right to exercise his religion of choice," said Dr. Grégor Puppinck, director general of the European Centre for Law and Justice.
Puppinck testified on March 5 before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where he called for the pastor's release from prison.
Abedini, who grew up as an Iranian Muslim, converted to Christianity in 2000 and has been a United States citizen since 2010, following his marriage to his American wife.
The pastor worked with house churches in Iran until the government ordered him to stop doing so in 2009, when he turned his attention to non-religious orphanages.