Saeed Abedini

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Saeed Abedini
Born (1980-05-07) May 7, 1980 (age 35)
Iran
Nationality Iranian-American
Known for Imprisonment in Iran
Religion Protestant Christian (convert from Shia Islam)
Spouse(s) Naghmeh Abedini
Children 2 (son and daughter)

Saeed Abedini (Persian: سعيد عابديني‎‎, born 7 May 1980) is an Iranian American Christian pastor imprisoned in Iran. He has been detained in Iran since the summer of 2012 and initially incarcerated in Evin Prison in September 2012. On January 27, 2013, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, reportedly on charges of undermining national security through private religious gatherings in Christian homes in Iran in the early 2000s. In November 2013, the Iranian government transferred Abedini to Rajai Shahr prison, just outside of Karaj, Iran.

Background[edit]

Abedini is an American and a former Muslim who converted to Christianity in 2000.[1][2] While Christianity is recognized as a minority religion under the Iranian constitution,[3] Muslim converts to Christianity suffer discrimination at the hands of Iranian authorities. In particular, such converts are disallowed from worshipping with other Christians in established Christian churches, which has led to the establishment of so-called "house" or "underground" churches where these converts can worship together.[4]

In 2002, Abedini met and married his wife Naghmeh, an American citizen. In the early 2000s, the Abedinis became prominent in the house-church movement in Iran, at a time when the movement was tolerated by the Iranian government.[5][6] During this period, Abedini is credited with establishing about 100 house churches in 30 Iranian cities with more than 2,000 members.[4] With the election of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in 2005, however, the house-church movement was subjected to a crackdown by Iranian authorities and the Abedinis moved back to the United States.[5]

Abedini's first trip back to Iran was in 2009 to visit his family, when government authorities detained him. According to Abedini, he was threatened with death during his interrogation over his conversion to Christianity. Ultimately he was released after signing a pledge to cease all house-church activities in the country.[4] As part of this same agreement, Abedini was permitted to return to Iran freely to work on non-sectarian humanitarian efforts.

In 2008, Abedini became an ordained minister in the U.S. and in 2010, he was granted American citizenship, thus becoming a dual Iranian-American citizen.[7] Abedini had been living the past several years with his family in Boise, Idaho, where his wife grew up.[8] The couple has two young children[9] and they are members at the Calvary Chapel church in Boise.[10]

2012 arrest[edit]

In July 2012, Abedini made his ninth trip to Iran since 2009 to visit his family and continue his work to build an orphanage in the city of Rasht. While in the country, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confiscated his passports and placed him under house arrest. He was later transferred to Evin Prison, where he has been incarcerated since late September.[4]

In mid-January 2013, it was reported that Abedini would go on trial on January 21, and could face the death penalty.[2][11] He was charged with compromising national security, though the specific allegations were not made public. His supporters said his arrest was due to his conversion and attending peaceful Christianity gatherings in Iran.[5] On January 21, 2013, Iranian state media reported that Abedini would be released after posting a $116,000 bond. His wife, however, stated that the government "has no intention of freeing him and that the announcement is 'a game to silence' international media reports."[1]

On January 27, 2013, Judge Pir-Abassi sentenced Abedini to eight years in prison. According to Fox News, Abedini was sentenced for having "undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches and ... attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam."[6] The evidence against Abedini was based primarily on his activities in the early 2000s. Abedini was meant to serve his time in Evin Prison.[6] The U.S. State Department condemned the sentence: "We condemn Iran's continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion and we call on the Iranian authorities to respect Mr. Abedini's human rights and release him."[12]

Early November 2013, Abedini was transferred from Tehran to the Rajai Shahr prison in the town of Karaj, which is populated with heavy criminals, and has harsher, sometimes life-threatening, conditions.[13]

Calls for release[edit]

Amnesty International has repeatedly raised the issue of Abedini's imprisonment, calling him a prisoner of conscience and calling upon Iran to release all those detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.[14][15]

In May 2015, the United States Senate unanimously passed, 90-0, a resolution calling upon the Iranian government to immediately free Abedini and two other Americans imprisoned in Iran, Amir Hekmati and Jason Rezaian, and to cooperate with the U.S. government to locate and return Robert Levinson, who is missing in the country.[16] The resolution was introduced by Senator James Risch of Idaho, Abedini's home state.[16]

In March 2015, in a message commemorating the Nowruz (the Persian new year), President Barack Obama listed Abedini, Rezaian, and Hekmati, by name and called for their release.[17] Obama said, "[Abedini] has spent two and a half years detained in Iran on charges related to his religious beliefs. He must be returned to his wife and two young children, who needlessly continue to grow up without their father."[17] Obama also met with Naghmeh Abedini during a January 2015 visit to Boise.[17]

In July 2015, in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Obama again listed Abedini, Rezaian, and Hekmati by name calling for their release (and for cooperation to find Levinson) and saying, "We are not going to relent until we bring home our Americans who are unjustly detained in Iran."[18] Secretary of State John Kerry said the same month that "not one meeting that took place" during the nuclear talks from 2013 to 2015 (which led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) at which the United States didn't raise the issue of four Americans.[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Wife of American pastor jailed in Iran: Tehran has no intention of freeing him despite report". Associated Press. 21 January 2013. 
  2. ^ a b Perry Chiaramonte (14 January 2013). "American pastor imprisoned in Iran to go on trial next week". Fox News. 
  3. ^ "US lawmakers urge release of Christian in Iran". AFP. 14 February 2013. 
  4. ^ a b c d Lisa Daftari (19 December 2012). "American pastor imprisoned without notice of charges while visiting family in Iran". Fox News. 
  5. ^ a b c Perry Chiaramonte (20 January 2013). "Wife of Christian held in Iran waits as trial, possible death sentence looms". Fox News. 
  6. ^ a b c "Iran sentences American pastor Saeed Abedini to 8 years in prison". Fox News. 27 January 2013. 
  7. ^ Perry Chiaramonte (10 January 2013). "Imprisoned American pastor tells family of death threats, torture in Iran". Fox News. 
  8. ^ "Boise church members pray for jailed pastor". KTVB. 21 January 2013. 
  9. ^ Carol Kuruvilla, After one year in Iranian jail, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini pens heartfelt letter to daughter, New York Daily News (September 26, 2013).
  10. ^ George Prentice, Idaho Pastor Sentenced in Iran to 8 Years in Prison, Boise Weekly (January 27, 2015).
  11. ^ "US Christian faces death in Iran trial: family". Agence France-Presse. 17 January 2013. 
  12. ^ "U.S. condemns sentencing of American pastor in Iran". Reuters. 27 January 2013. 
  13. ^ Jordan Sekulow, Matthew Clark (6 November 2013). "Pastor Saeed Abedini faces grave new danger". Washington Post. Retrieved 11 November 2013. 
  14. ^ Iran: New briefing reveals crackdown on dissent ahead of election, Amnesty International (June 12, 2013).
  15. ^ Elise Auerbach, Why the Iranian Government Should Listen to the King Who Died 3,000 Years Ago, Amnesty International USA (March 11, 2013).
  16. ^ a b Associated Press, Senate Passes Resolution for Release of Americans in Iran (May 11, 2015).
  17. ^ a b c Katy Moeller, Obama makes new appeal for Saeed Abedini's release, Idaho Statesman (March 21, 2015).
  18. ^ a b Obama calls on Iran to release 'unjustly detained' Americans, Guardian (July 21, 2014).