Iranian pastor gets appeal

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
10/12/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

still faces death penalty, prayers, pressure, and support still needed.

In a move which possibly reveals the effect of significant pressure, Iran's Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for a Christian pastor sentenced to death for refusing to convert to Islam.

This hanging, of a woman, demonstrates the compassion of Iran's justice system. a tremendous amount of prayer and pressure is needed to end this kind of brutality.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - In reports received by the US government and in statements by Iranian state media, it is revealed that the Supreme Court of Iran has sent the case back to the lower courts because of what they say are concerns about the initial investigation.

Youcef Nadarkhani, a 32-year-old Christian pastor working in Iran, was arrested in October 2009 and sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Iranian state media originally accused him of a variety of charges including, rape, extortion, and espionage, but his current charges are apostasy and evangelism to Muslims.

The case has been referred to Iran's supreme leader, something that might not have happened if the case had not gained international support. The pressure from the international community on Iran has been substantial. In addition to prayers, international human rights, political, and Christian organizations have all been tirelessly petitioning the Iranian government for leniency in the case. World governments have also made formal complaints to Iran.

Despite the petitions and protests, the lower Iranian courts sentenced Nadarkhani to death because in Iran, to convert from Islam to Christianity is a capital offense. Nadarkhani, however contends that he has been a lifelong Christian.

It is difficult to say with any degree of accuracy just what is going on in Nadarkhani's case. The Iranian legal system is notoriously secretive and it is common for the media to announce that people have been convicted for a variety of crimes for which they would have not actually been tried. Iran is also notorious for its brutal application of the death penalty. So far Nadarkhani has faced hanging as the most likely method of his execution. Such executions in Iran are typically public affairs, with individuals being crudely hanged by devices that have not been designed for the purpose.

One popular form of hanging in Iran involves transporting the condemned in the bed of a pickup truck and having a noose suspended by a crane tied around their neck. The truck pulls away leaving the condemned to dangle free and to die a miserable death. This appears to be about as compassionate as Iranian Islamic justice can get.

Recently, the world has begun to scrutinize Iran's policies, particularly how they dispense justice. For a country that wants to enter the world political arena as a modernized first-world power, they clearly have a lot of work to do. The government is rife with corruption and Islamic intolerance, while the people of the country are finding themselves increasingly embarrassed by its antics.
Supporters of Nadarkhani say that without the high level of publicity and international pressure brought in this case, Nadarkhani would likely have been executed.

Iranian government officials defend their prosecution of Nadarkhani, as well as the imposition of the death penalty. They say that to escape death, all Nadarkhani needs to do is renounce his face. An absurd proposition for a true believer in any faith, particularly Christianity.

It is hoped that Nadarkhani remains strong in his faith, despite his long confinement in an Iranian prison, that the prayers and international pressure on the Iranian government continue, and that miraculous change sweeps the region so that the Iranian people can rightfully take a place of respect in the international community.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Youcef Nadarkhani, Iran, Supreme Court, appeal, death penalty, Christian pastor, apostasy

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

David Smith
1 year ago
I agree with Christian, yea I've played games that desensitize you from blood and gore but this is just ridiculous. I'm praying for that man to be released and that he continues even now beingbin jail to trust in God. Amen.
Benjamin Chung
1 year ago
Believing in Jesus Christ has always been opposed by this evil world because as we all know this world is in fact under the condemnation of corruption both morally and physically as in Iran as in most other evil regimes around the world who understand nothing better than an arrogant and blind form of religious self righteousness and hypocrisy that reveals its base nature in hopeless death and the cowering in fear. The point is that I pray for believers in Jesus Christ who are persecuted on account of their trust in Jesus. And for the Christian world it is our duty to stand with Youcef Nadarkhani because he is a brother being persecuted for righteousness sake and it is God who justifies him on account of Jesus Christ for whose sake he is being persecuted to the death! Let us always pray for him in faith so that the world might continue to be saved through Jesus Christ through his testimony in his beleiving and persecuted brethren around the world everyday until Jesus Christ comes in His glory no more as the lamb of God...but as the Lion of Judah!
Bulbajer
1 year ago
Thank God! But the information from Tiffany troubles me. This is not over by far.
Tiffany
1 year ago
This article is misleading. The Supreme Court did not order a "retrial" just recently. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the trial court back in June of 2011. The "retrial" was what happened on September 25-28th, in which the judges maintained that the Pastor had abandoned the faith of his ancestors and must either recant of face execution. The Pastor refused to recant. The trial court has not yet issued its written verdict and have asked for the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, to offer his opinion on the case.

This is where the case presently stands. Pastor Youcef does not get another retrial as this article seems to suggest. The point everyone should be focusing on is that Iran has imprisoned him for over 2 years with the threat of execution for his faith. He should be released immediately!
Christian
1 year ago
Would you get a hold of that picture? What is wrong with these people? They seem to take delight in killing as if it were some kind of sport. Everybody comes out to watch. I'm disgusted! How does one deal with such evil? Animals! No, even animals wouldn't do this.
Jorge
1 year ago
what nonsense is this? should we be happy by the commuting of an insane act of savage barbarism like killing muslim apostates? it is SHARIA LAW itself that must be put on trial, and not the other way around!! no ONE should ever be persecuted, harmed, harassed and even less killed just because that person changed religion, specially from such a wicked false one like islam, PURE FILTH, PURE EVIL!

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