Faithful Heroes and Heroines: February 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Alimujiang Yimiti’s, China

Location: China
Arrested: February 2008
Days Imprisoned: 637

In September 2007 Chinese government officials closed Alimujiang Yimiti’s business and accused him of using it as a cover up for “preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity.” He was later arrested in January 2008 and accused of “subversion of the national government and endangering national security,” a crime punishable by death.

Alimujiang, a former Muslim, became a Christian more than 10 years ago and has been an active Christian in the growing Uyghur church.

On May 27, Alimujiang’s case went to trial. His case was referred back to the Chinese Public Security Bureau’s prosecutors due to “insufficient evidence.” He remains in custody.

A Brief Overview of the Case:
On Sept. 13, 2007, the Kashi Municipal Bureau for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Xinjiang stated: “Since 2002, Alimujiang Yimiti has been engaging, in the name of employment, in activities of illegal religious infiltration which include preaching Christianity among the people of Uyghur ethnicity, distributing religious materials and converting Christians.”

However, on Jan. 12, 2008, the Kashi Municipal Public Security Bureau placed Alimujiang on criminal detention on the two charges of “suspicion of inciting people to secede from China” and “illegally providing state secrets to foreigners.” On Feb. 20, he was formally arrested.

On Aug. 6, 2009, the Kashi District Intermediate Court secretly sentenced Alimujiang to 15 years imprisonment on the charge of “illegally providing state secrets to foreign nationals.”
It was not until Oct. 27 that the court in Kashi notified Alimujiang’s wife, Gulinuer, and his lawyer of the sentence. Alimujiang appealed.

On March 6, 2010, the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region tried the case in private, refusing to let the lawyer appear in court. They upheld the ruling from the Kashi District Intermediate Court, sentencing Alimujiang to 15 years of imprisonment and depriving him of political rights for five years.

On April 12, 2010, Alimujiang’s wife Gulinuer got a phone call notifing her that Alimujiang had been transferred from Kashi Detention Center to serve his sentence in No. 3 Prison of Xinjiang in Urumqi.

In Nov. 2010, the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang accepted the appeal by Alimujiang’s wife and mother and decided to retry Alimujiang’s case of “disclosing top state secrets
After Christmas 2010, the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang told Gulinuer that they had already made the decision through a collegial bench on December 20.

In Feb. 2011, the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang notified Alimujiang, who is serving his sentence, that they upheld the original sentence of 15 years of imprisonment in the reconsideration.

Pastor Yang Rongli, in China

Location: China
Arrested: November 2009
Days Imprisoned: 825

On Nov. 25, 2009, Pastor Yang Rongli and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province were sentenced to criminal detention for two to seven years, according to China Aid Association. The five church leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order," because they organized a prayer rally on Sept. 14, the day after 400 military police raided the church's grounds. During the raid, more than 30 believers were seriously wounded and 17 buildings were destroyed.

Release Date
Yang Rongli is scheduled to be released in 2017.

Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, Eritrea

Location: Eritrea
Arrested: May 2004

Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, a leading figure of Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, founder and senior pastor of Southwest Full Gospel Church and member of the executive committee to the Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, was arrested on May 23, 2004. He was taken from his home in Asmara Gejeret, at approximately 5 a.m. Dr. Gebremeskel was a mathematics lecturer, department and faculty head at the University of Asmara until 1999, when he became a full-time pastor at the Southwest Full Gospel Church. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Chicago University. His wife and four children have not been able to visit him.

About 2,000 Eritrean Christians are believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. Dr. Gebremeskel is one of the 28 clergymen being held.

Jailed Protestants are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three “official” Christian denominations recognized by the government. But even the legally recognized denominations--the nation’s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches--have come under government disfavor, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.

Eritrea, Haile Nayzgi

Location: Eritrea
Arrested: May 2004

During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, Haile Nayzgi was arrested and taken to Police Station #1 in Asmara. He was the leader of Eritrea’s Full Gospel Church, which is comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups. The church groups were closed by government decree at a meeting with a government official on May 15, 2003. At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received.

Haile is married and has four children. He was previously an accountant with World Evangelical Alliance. During his incarceration, Haile has been refused any personal contact with his family. When family and friends went to take food and clothing to the prison for Haile on August 24, 2004, they were told that he was no longer there. Mr. Nayzgi has been moved to various locations since his arrest, but the actual charges against him have not been released.

Pastor Kidane Weldou, Eritea

Location: Eritrea
Arrested: March 2005

Pastor Kidane Weldou disappeared and is presumably detained by Eritrean security forces. His vehicle was found abandoned in downtown Asmara. He is a senior pastor of the Full Gospel Church and has been a leader in the church for many years. Weldou is married and has four daughters. For many days his family has been unable to learn his whereabouts. Other Full Gospel pastors still being held include Haile Nayzgi. Pastor Weldou is also a member of the executive committee of Gideons International in Eritrea.

About 2,000 Christians are being held in prisons and military camps in Eritrea. A few were released after signing a pledge to stop attending religious services. The Eritrean government began forcibly closing evangelical Protestant churches in 2002. They have not allowed any of the independent Protestant churches to register and reopen since, even though 11 have applied for this official registration. Along with Islam, there are only three Christian churches authorized to worship by the government. These include Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran churches. However, Orthodox Christians have also been arrested.

On February 19, 2005, a group of Sunday school teachers and students were arrested and detained by police after a raid on the Medhane Alem Orthodox Church in Asmara. They were later released. According to Compass Direct, the pastors of the banned Protestant churches were reportedly ordered not to inform anyone outside Eritrea of their problems. However, these pastors rejected this advice and reported what was happening to the outside world. Some of those arrested are held in metal shipping containers.

Pastor Wang Xiaoguang, China

Location: China
Arrested: November 2009
Days Imprisoned: 825

On Nov. 25, 2009, Pastor Wang Xiaoguang and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province were sentenced to criminal detention for two to seven years, according to China Aid Association. The five church leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order," because they organized a prayer rally on Sept. 14, the day after 400 military police raided the church's grounds. During the raid, more than 30 believers were seriously wounded and 17 buildings were destroyed.

Yang Xuan, in China

Location: China
Arrested: November 2009
Days Imprisoned: 825

On Nov. 25, 2009, Yang Xuan and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province were sentenced to criminal detention for two to seven years, according to China Aid Association. The five church leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order," because they organized a prayer rally on Sept. 14, the day after 400 military police raided the church's grounds. During the raid, more than 30 believers were seriously wounded and 17 buildings were destroyed.

Zhang Huamei, China

Location: China
Arrested: November 2009
Days Imprisoned: 825

On Nov. 25, 2009, Zhang Huamei and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province were sentenced to criminal detention for two to seven years, according to China Aid Association. The five church leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order," because they organized a prayer rally on Sept. 14, the day after 400 military police raided the church's grounds. During the raid, more than 30 believers were seriously wounded and 17 buildings were destroyed.

Imran Ghafur Masih, in Pakistan

Location: Pakistan
Arrested: July 2009
Days Imprisoned: 972

On Jan. 11, 2010, Imran Ghafur Masih was sentenced to life in prison and fined 100,000 rupees ($1,155 U.S.), according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. His family has appealed the decision to the Pakistan High Court and is awaiting a hearing date.

On July 1, 2009, Pakistani police arrested Imran Ghafur in Punjab province after Muslims accused him of burning pages of the Quran. While cleaning his brother’s retail shop, Imran removed the trash he had collected, intending to burn some of it. While burning the trash, pages of an Islamic book flew into the fire and burned. Imran’s neighbor, Haji Liaqat, saw the burned pages of the Islamic book and alerted other Muslims in the area. “Haji Liaqat saw the burned pages, and he aggressively told all resident people and travelers that Imran burnt the pages of a Quran also,” a VOM contact said. “He was telling everybody that Imran Ghafur is burning the Quran … he should be killed.”

Imran and his father were severely beaten before police arrested Imran. Following the arrest, news of the incident spread throughout the city, and angry Muslims threw stones at the police station where Imran was being held. “Give the death sentence to him who disgraces the Holy Quran, and hang him who disgraces the Holy Quran,” the Muslims said. “Christians are dogs; Imran is a dog,” they shouted.

On July 2, 2009, Imran was moved to a jail. “The situation is very tense in Hajwari town, where the Christian families live,” the VOM contact said. “Haji Liaqat and his friends are saying that they will not allow Imran’s family to live in the colony or run their business.”

Imran and his family have been managing businesses in the area and are actively involved with other Christians in the area.

Thank You for Your Prayers
On Thursday, May 26, 2011, Imran’s brother, Naveed, visited Imran in jail. Naveed told Imran many people were praying for him and he asked Imran what message he wanted to give VOM and other prayer partners.

Imran had tears of joy in his eyes. He said, “I am thankful to Lord for this help. I wish that I could personally meet and thank you, but I am in jail. I cannot do that, but I promise, the day I come out of this prison, surely I will thank you for this love and prayers.”

Imran said he is using his time in prison to study God's Word. "I am happy the Lord wants to use me for his Kingdom."

Tohar Haydarov, Uzbekistan

Location: Uzbekistan
Arrested: March 2010
Days Imprisoned: 721

On March 9, 2010, a criminal court in Uzbekistan sentenced 27-year-old Tohar Haydarov to 10 years in prison for the “Illegal sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities,” according to Forum 18 News Service. Members of the Baptist church in Uzbekistan insist that the charges are fabricated and that Haydarov’s sentence was punishment for his religious activity. It is unclear why Haydarov received a 10-year sentence.

According to Forum 18 News, Baptists insist that police planted drugs on Haydarov, and church members insist that he is “a man with a pure conscience and an honest Christian.” Haydarov has appealed his sentence.

Sentence Confirmed; Prisoner Shown Letters
A judge recently confirmed Tohar's ten year prison sentence, for charges church members say are false. "The court correctly stated the criminal act of Tohar Haydarov, and the punishment was given in proportion to the act, taking into account the public danger of the act," the judge wrote.

Prison authorities recently showed Tohar some of the many letters sent to him, but he is not allowed to read them, because "there are too many citations from the Bible in them."

Mehdi “Petros” Foroutan, in Iran

Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Arrested: September 2011
Days Imprisoned: 156

Mehdi “Petros” Foroutan, a 27-year-old pastor in Iran, was arrested in January 2010 and charged with crimes against national security and blasphemy against Islam. Although acquitted of the blasphemy charge and released on bail a month later, Pastor Foroutan was sentenced to one year in prison. Unlike most people who wait for an arrest warrant, Pastor Foroutan reported to prison on Sept. 25, 2011, to begin serving his sentence.

Almost immediately, Pastor Foroutan was transferred to the area of the prison for recovering drug addicts in Shiraz. It is often called “the end of the road” for addicts and drug dealers. Please pray for Pastor Foroutan’s safety and protection from easily transferred diseases as he lives among drug addicts. Pray that God uses and works through the pastor to free those held captive by addiction.

Behnam Irani, In Iran

Location: Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Arrested: May 2011
Days Imprisoned: 273

Behnam Irani, a 41-year-old pastor from Kraj, Iran, was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and sentenced to one year in prison. After voluntarily surrendering to authorities on May 31 to begin his sentence, he learned that he would be forced to serve five years in connection with a previous conviction.

Officers from the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security (MOIS) raided Irani’s house church on April 14, 2010, and assaulted him before taking him into custody. Although he was released on bail two months after his arrest, he later received the one-year prison sentence.

When Irani voluntarily began serving his sentence in May 2011, he was prepared to spend one year in prison. But he received a letter in October stating that he must now serve five years from his previous sentence.

Irani was first arrested in December 2006 and tried for crimes against national security. He was released in January 2007 but was soon re-arrested, tried and sentenced to five years in prison. Irani was never called to serve the sentence that is now being held against him.

Irani became a pastor in 2002, 10 years after becoming a Christian. Please pray for his wife and two children as they wait for him to return home.

You may also write a letter of encouragement to Pastor Irani to let him know you are praying for him. Please do not speak negatively of the Iranian government in your letter or mention the name of the organization that provided this information.

Irani is Ill - February 2012
The family of Behnam Irani are very concerned over reports of his ill health. He is experiencing some sort of intestinal disorder. His family is very concerned because his brother died from intestinal cancer. Please pray for his health, as well as for his family.

Pastor Irani Being Mistreated and in Poor Health
For the first few months of his sentence, Behnam Irani was held in solitary confinement in a very small cell. Afterward, he was moved to another small cell with other prisoners. The room was so full, the prisoners were not able to lie down to sleep, so they had to sit all day and night. The room also got very hot.

Pastor Behnam is now in a normal cell, but authorities have asked for him to be beaten regularly. All his hair has turned white, and his friends fear he may lose the use of his foot, due to a severe foot injury.

Please keep Behnam and his family in your prayers.

Father Nguyen Van Ly, in Vietnam

Location: Vietnam
Arrested: July 2011
Days Imprisoned: 218

On Feb. 19, 2007, Father Nguyen Van Ly was arrested in Hue, Vietnam for distributing material “harmful to the state.” In March, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He has issued statements criticizing the government’s confiscation of church property, lack of seminary training and the influence of the state in church teachings and has been a powerful advocate for Christian freedom.

On March 15, 2010, Father Nguyen was released on medical parole after he suffered three debilitating strokes. He spent 16 months convalescing before the government demanded he return to complete his sentence.

Seriously ill and weak, Father Nguyen was rearrested on July 25, 2011.

Gao, in China

Location: China
Arrested: February 2009
Days Imprisoned: 210

Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly arrested, imprisoned and severely tortured by Chinese authorities, mostly for his human rights work. In 2006, he and a group of prominent human rights lawyers created the Association of Human Rights Attorneys for Chinese Christians. That same year, Gao was sentenced to five years of probation for inciting “subversion of the state.” After serving three years in prison, Gao was supposedly released on probation but he disappeared for extended periods of time.

In 2007, he was arrested and spent over 50 days behind bars where he was tortured. “I was beaten so badly that my whole body began shaking uncontrollably on the floor,” Gao wrote in an open letter.

Gao last reappeared out of police custody in April 2010. He told the Associated Press that he had been shunted between detention centers, farmhouses and apartments across northern China. Security forces repeatedly abused him, beating him with electric batons, pistol-whipping him and holding burning cigarettes close to his eyes.

“Not only is it now extremely difficult for me to make my voice heard, but it is also extremely dangerous,” Gao wrote in an essay in 2009. “In the past three-plus years, the authorities invested a great deal of manpower, physical resources and funds, and employed the most merciless methods, to achieve their goal of silencing me.”

Gao Confirmed Alive in Police Custody
Gao Zhisheng, a prominent Chinese dissident lawyer known for taking politically delicate cases, reappeared after 20 months in a forced disappearance. He is being held in Shaya Prison in Xinjiang, China, a remote western region. Gao's family and supporters believe authorities have secretly held him in prison for much of the past two years. A Chinese court confirmed Gao was alive by sending a letter to his family saying he would be incarcerated for three years for violating his probation.

Asia Bibi: A Heroine for the Faith

Asia Bibi: A Case History

Asia Bibi, a Christian wife and mother in Pakistan, was arrested by police on June 19, 2009, and charged with blasphemy after she engaged in a religious discussion with co-workers. Many of the local women, including Asia, worked on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. Her family was one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families. During their work, many of the Muslim women had pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam.

On June 19, 2009 there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam, and, according to VOM sources, Asia responded by telling the Muslim women that Jesus is alive. “Our Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins...Our Christ is alive.” She told them. Upon hearing this response, the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia. Then some men took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey.

Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into protective custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. Christians urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but the police claimed they had to go forward because of pressure from local Muslim leaders.

After a lengthy trial, on Nov. 8, 2010, Asia Bibi was sentenced to death by a judge. The judge also fined Asia $1,190 (U.S.) and told her she had seven days to appeal the decision. Her attorneys filed the appeal promptly, and now wait for the Lahore High Court to rule. If the appeal is rejected, Asia would be the first woman to be lawfully executed under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. She remains in prison, waiting to hear the high court’s ruling.

On Jan. 4, 2011 the governor of Punjab province, where Asia lives, was assassinated by a member of his security team. Though a Muslim, Salmaan Taseer had spoken out repeatedly in favor of a pardon for Asia Bibi and for a reexamination of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Governor Taseer also met with Asia in prison. On March 2, 2011, Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of Pakistan’s cabinet and another person who had spoken out on behalf of Asia Bibi, was also assassinated for his support of her.

The Voice of the Martyrs has supported Asia Bibi and her family since the time of her arrest. In July, 2011, VOM launched www.CallForMercy.com in an effort to gather 1,000,000 signatures from around the world asking for Asia’s release.

Pastor Yousef

Please go to http://aclj.org/docket-blog for more reports about Yousef. Please keep praying, and do whatever you can, for everything helps! ~ In Christ, Mary

What has been happening to Youcef?

Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been illegally imprisoned in Iran for more than 865 days - separated from his wife and two young boys. Here is a timeline of the events from his arrest, conviction, and sentencing for apostasy (becoming a Christian) to the recent news that our sources believe that his execution has been ordered.

October 13, 2009 – Youcef Arrested – Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested while registering his church in Rasht, Iran. He was initially arrested for questioning Iran’s forced Muslim teaching of all children in Iran. He was jailed after pointing out that Iran’s constitution protects religious freedom. The authorities eventually charged him with apostasy – abandoning Islam for Christianity.
September 21-22, 2010 – Youcef Convicted & Sentenced to Death – After his initial trial, the Iranian court verbally sentenced Pastor Youcef to death for his faith.
November 13, 2010 – The Iranian trial court issued a written death sentence for Pastor Youcef.
December 5, 2010 – Pastor Youcef appealed his conviction and execution to Iran’s supreme court.
June 28, 2011 – Iran Supreme Court Upheld Youcef Death Sentence – Iran’s supreme court in Qom, Iran upheld Youcef’s apostasy conviction and death sentence by hanging for apostasy, remanding the case for a factual inquiry into whether Pastor Youcef was a practicing Muslim at age of majority before choosing Christianity.
July 1, 2011 – The ACLJ wrote letters to the U.S. State Department (International Religious Freedom Office, NEA/Iran Desk, and Ambassador-at-Large), Members of Congress (House and Senate), Iranian Interest Section in Pakistan Embassy, and United Nations (Iran Mission) calling for international action to save Pastor Youcef’s life.
July 1, 2011 – The ACLJ first brought public attention to the plight of Pastor Youcef on ACLJ.org.
July 6, 2011 – U.S. State Department released statement of “dismay” over Iran’s treatment of Pastor Youcef.
July 22, 2011 – Members of Congress sent first congressional letter on Pastor Youcef’s behalf to Secretary Clinton (Reps. Wolf, Smith, Fortenberry, Aderholt, Franks, and Pitts).
September 21, 2011 – Jordan Sekulow first wrote about Pastor Youcef’s plight in the Washington Post, marking some of the first major media coverage of Pastor Youcef’s case since his appeal was rejected.
September 25, 2011 – Iran Court Reaffirmed Youcef Death Sentence – Iran trial court determined that Youcef had abandoned the faith of his ancestors because he was born to Muslim parents and rejected Islam after the age of majority. The Court verbally reaffirmed his death sentence, unless he recanted his Christian faith.
September 25-28, 2011 – Youcef Refuses to Deny Christian Faith – Each day, the Iranian trial court demanded that Pastor Youcef recant his faith or die, to which he responded, “I cannot.”
September 27-28, 2011 – Firouz Sadegh-Khandjani, a Member of the Council of Elders for the Church of Iran and a close personal friend of Pastor Youcef, called in to the Jordan Sekulow Show from Iran to provide live updates on Pastor Youcef’s hearings.
September 27, 2011 – Jordan Sekulow broke Pastor Youcef’s impending death sentence on the Washington Post.
September 27, 2011 – Representative Randy Forbes, Chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, issues statement calling for Youcef’s “full and unconditional release.”
September 28, 2011 – Speaker Boehner Calls for Youcef Release – Speaker of the House John Boehner released a statement calling for Pastor Youcef’s “full and unconditional release.” These statements were followed by numerous other statements issued by Members of Congress.
September 29, 2011 – White House Demands Youcef’s Release – The White House issued a statement calling “upon the Iranian authorities to release Pastor Nadarkhani.”
September 29, 2011 – Representative Aderholt, along with Reps. Forbes, Fortenberry, Franks, Pitts, and Wolf, sent a letter directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, calling for Pastor Youcef’s release.
September 30, 2011 – Iran Spreads Lies on Youcef Conviction – Iranian state-run press began spreading lies about Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s conviction, claiming that he was not convicted of apostasy but instead of “security” and other crimes.
September 30, 2011 – Youcef Conviction Order Disproves Iran’s Lies – The ACLJ translated (through the Confederation of Iranian Students) and published the written verdict from the Iranian supreme court. The verdict stated that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was “convicted of turning his back on Islam” and “sentenced to execution by hanging.” The Iranian verdict disproved Iran’s lies.
October 5, 2011 – The ACLJ reported that sources on the ground in Iran believed that Pastor Youcef’s case had been referred to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
October 6, 2011 – The ACLJ, through our international affiliate European Centre for Law and Justice, sent a letter to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs for free speech, religion, and human rights in Iran calling on the UN to intervene in Pastor Youcef’s case.
October 6, 2011 – Sen. Marco Rubio gave a speech on the U.S. Senate floor. In this speech he read the Iranian charges from documents obtained by the ACLJ. Sen. Rubio called for the release of Pastor Youcef and called on other nations to stand up for Human Rights, stating, “This is an outrage.”
October 10, 2011 – Youcef’s Case Goes to Iran Supreme Leader – The ACLJ confirmed that the Iranian trial court had requested the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, provide advice on the case – effectively placing Pastor Youcef’s fate in the Ayatollah’s hands.
October 11, 2011 – 156,000 Urge Sec. of State to Call for Youcef’s Release – The ACLJ sent a letter on behalf of more than 156,000 Americans to Secretary of State Clinton urging her to call for Pastor Youcef’s release.
October 12, 2011 – The ACLJ initiates and sends a joint letter with religious freedom scholars and human rights organizations to Secretary of State Clinton urging the State Department’s involvement.
October 13, 2011 – Bipartisan Congressional Letter Calls for Youcef’s Release – 89 Members of Congress sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Clinton urging her to call for Pastor Youcef’s immediate release.
October 14, 2011 – Pastor Youcef’s Iranian attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, told the ACLJ that international pressure was helping Pastor Youcef’s case and to keep his story in the international media.
October 19, 2011 – U.N. Breaks Silence on Pastor Youcef – U.N. Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed publicly called on Iran to release Pastor Youcef.
October 26, 2011 – Iran “Secret Security” Pressures Youcef – The ACLJ reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s “Secret Security” were forcing Islamic propaganda on Pastor Youcef and pressuring him to recant his Christian faith.
November 9, 2011 – The ACLJ met with U.S. State Department and were assured that the State Department had not forgotten about Pastor Youcef.
December 9, 2011 – Secretary of State Clinton First Calls for Youcef’s Release – Secretary of State Clinton called for Pastor Youcef’s immediate and unconditional release.
December 16, 2011 – Iran Delays Youcef’s Case – Iran further delayed determination of Pastor Youcef’s fate.
January 13-20, 2012 – The Iranian regime again pressured Pastor Youcef to recant his faith or die.
January 25, 2012 – Tweet for Youcef Launched – The ACLJ launched the “Tweet for Youcef” campaign.
February 2, 2012 – Iran Regrets Signing Human Rights Agreement – The head of Iran’s Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani – who has been involved in determining the fate of Christian Pastor Youcef– stated that it was a mistake that Iran signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
February 17, 2012 – Congressional Resolution for Youcef Introduced – Representatives Pitts and Ellison introduced a resolution in support of Pastor Youcef in Congress.
February 20, 2012 – Believe Youcef Death Order Issued – The ACLJ first reported the new danger for pastor Youcef that his execution order may have been issued.
February, 21, 2012 – The ACLJ received confirmation that Pastor Youcef was still alive, but reports continued that his execution order had been issued.
February 23, 2012 – White House, State Call for Youcef’s Release – The White House and the U.S. State Department again issue strong statements condemning Iran’s execution order in “strongest possible terms” and calling for Pastor Youcef’s release.

Pastor Youcef is still alive!-- keep praying

Dear Friends,

Pastor Youcef is still alive, but is still in intimate danger. Please keep praying!

Below is the newest update from aclj.org:

Youcef Still Alive But Execution Remains Imminent

Faithful Heroes and Heroines

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