Luke 21:12 “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
Within a day of news reports that the wife of Pastor Saeed Abedini, jailed in Iran for refusing to renounce his faith, was going to speak to a United Nations conference seeking help in gaining her husband’s freedom, the White House has released a statement in the case of the jailed American pastor.
“”We remain deeply concerned about U.S. citizen Saeed Abedini who has been sentenced to 8 years in prison in Iran on charges related to his religious beliefs. We can confirm that Mrs. Abedini and her lawyer met with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Eileen Donahoe. We have reached out to numerous international partners to raise awareness of Mr. Abedini’s case and to press Iranian officials to provide him medical attention and to release him,” the White House said.
Pastor Abedini, accused by Iran of endangering national security, has been proven to be in the country to build an orphanage. An Iran native, Abedini became an American after marrying his wife Naghmeh. Iran refuses to accept that he is now an American citizen.
“I, along with the U.S. government, condemn Iran’s continued violation of the universal right of freedom of religion and call on the Iranian authorities to respect Mr. Abedini’s human rights and release him,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.
