TEHRAN, Iran — The attorney for imprisoned Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Court will review his case if the appeals court returns it, CNN reported Oct. 13.
“The reversal is a minor victory for the two-year-old legal battle; the Supreme Court passed on hearing the case in 2010,” the news network said after speaking with Nadarkhani’s lawyer, Mohammad Dadkah. Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, told CNN the ongoing international conversation has helped his case.
“I think in terms of people praying for Pastor Youcef, that has had an effect, and I think we are seeing the results of that,” Nettleton said. “Iran is a bit hesitant to put this man to death, and I think that is a result of international pressure.”
Harris Zafar, a spokesman for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, told CNN he is surprised that more Muslims aren’t speaking up in Nadarkhani’s defense, and he believes Iran hopes to delay the case long enough that the international community will forget about it and move on to the next story.
Nettleton said Voice of the Martyrs will be sure to keep shining light on the pastor’s plight. The American Center for Law and Justice said Oct. 13 that 89 members of Congress, including 21 Democrats, have signed a letter asking Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to pressure Iran to release Nadarkhani.
Nadarkhani, 32, was arrested in 2009 and charged with apostasy. A lower court found that while he had never been Muslim, he was guilty of apostasy because he came from a Muslim family.
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