U.S. accepts Iranian Christians for resettlement

ISTANBUL, Turkey — The United States has approved emergency resettlement for a family of four Iranian Christians left stranded in Turkey since an October deportation order. Widow Zivar Khademian, together with her daughter Fatemeh Moini, 19, and sons Hossein and Kazem Moini, both in their early 30s, had fled to Turkey in January 2003. After arriving in Turkey, they were twice refused refugee status by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, despite their status as former Muslims who had converted to Christianity. Under Iran’s Islamic law, anyone who abandons the Muslim faith faces the death penalty.