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February 26, 2013

From Iranian Prison, U.S. Pastor Saeed Abedini Claims Torture But Defends Faith

International campaign urging his release joined by more than 80 members of Congress.

Melissa Steffan

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) continues to ramp up its campaign for the release of Iran-born American pastor Saeed Abedini, who remains in prison after being sentenced to eight years for "threatening national security" with his church planting.

ACLJ reports that its "Save Saeed" campaign has topped 330,000 signatures, surpassing its 300,000-signature goal.

This advocacy effort appears to be gaining even more momentum than the movement to release Church of Iran pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (which CT covered regularly), especially now that 80 members of Congress "from both parties signed a Feb. 12 letter urging Secretary of State John Kerry to 'exhaust every possible option to secure Mr. Abedini's immediate release.'"

Fueling the international campaign for Abedini's release is a letter from Abedini released earlier this week. In the letter, Abedini describes the conditions of the prison, but vows to remain strong in his faith. According to Morning Star News, Abedini wrote:

They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures … so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real...And after all of these pressures, after all of the nails they have pressed against my hands and feet, they are only waiting for one thing … for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this from me.

CT previously reported on Abedini and his sentencing.

posted by Melissa Steffan | Comments (2)

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What a courageous man!! I so admire his faith. God gives us what we need when it is needed!!!

Posted By: Ruthanne Nauyokas | March 1, 2013 8:17 AM

Praying for you Pastor Saeed. God will send his angels to minister to you. You are suffering as Peter and Paul and so many others did. If God does not perform a miracle and release you from prison, he will bring you Home. As Paul said, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Your refusal to deny Christ is not unnoticed by God. Jesus said that if we confess him before men, he will confess us before God. I can only imagine the joyful proclaimations occurring in Heaven for you this very moment!

I also pray for your captors and all those who encounter you. I pray that God would forgive them as he forgave those who nailed Jesus to the cross, "for they know not what they do." I pray that your witness will cause them to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus so that they may be saved.

I leave you with words from Paul when he was imprisoned for his faith:

Ephesians 3:12-21

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Posted By: Diane | March 1, 2013 4:22 PM

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