After nearly 200,000 Americans petitioned the U.S. government to intervene on behalf of an Iranian pastor facing death for his faith, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has finally called for his release.
"Today, we call on every government to release all prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally, including Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani," Clinton said Saturday.
Nadarkhani, 34, was sentenced to die in 2009 for leaving the Islamic faith despite his claims that he was never a Muslim.
The American Center for Law and Justice, who launched the petition to save the pastor's life, was pleased by this latest development.
"We appreciate Secretary of State Clinton's strong statement in support of Pastor Youcef," Jordon Sekulow, chief counsel for the ACLJ, said in a statement Saturday.
"We will continue working with the State Department in fighting for Pastor Youcef's release, as we expect a decision from Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later this month," he pledged.
Join CBN News on Twitter to spread the word about Pastor Youcef's case.
- Follow us @CBNNews, then retweet our post, "Who is Youcef Nadarkhani? A pastor, husband & father who may be killed in Iran for his faith. RT for religious freedom, http//bit.ly/cbnnews."
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for urgent action:
- Voice your concerns now to the Iranian Embassy here.
- You can also call the Iranian liaison office in the U.S. State Department. The number is 202-647-6575.
--Published Dec. 10, 2011.