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Iran: Pastor Saeed's Life in Jeopardy After Prison Transfer

  • Religion Today Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Nov 05, 2013

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Saeed Abedini, an American pastor imprisoned in Iran for his faith, is facing life-threatening conditions after a recent prison transfer, CBN News reports. Pastor Saeed's family says he has been moved from the brutal Evin Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison, known to be an even more dangerous jail. "Going to Karaj is a severe punishment," Loes Bijnen, a Dutch diplomat from the embassy in Tehran, described the jail in a 2005 report. "Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence." According to the ACLJ, Saeed is in a ward with those convicted for crimes such as rape and murder. Family members tried to visit the pastor Monday but were told he isn't allowed to have visitors in the new prison. "The transfer to this prison is a deeply disturbing development and can only be viewed as a move that puts Pastor Saeed's life directly at risk," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ. While there is broad bipartisan support for a Senate resolution calling for Saeed's release, Sekulow says it's crucial that President Barack Obama step in "directly and forcefully" to save his life.