Washington D.C., Jan 18, 2016 / 11:30 am
Religious freedom advocates voiced gratitude and joy at the release of Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen who had been held in an Iranian prison since 2012.
Abedini was among the three American citizens freed as part of the U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange over the weekend.
"This is a major victory. We are incredibly grateful to the more than 1.1 million people who have joined us in fighting across the globe for Pastor Saeed's freedom," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), in a Jan. 16 statement.
The ACLJ had for years been advocating for Pastor Abedini's freedom from Iran by organizing prayer vigils, collecting signatures for petitions, and sending letters to the United Nations and Congress.