WASHINGTON — On March 22, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for the release of pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent who is suffering in a notoriously brutal Tehran prison because of his Christian faith.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represents Abedini’s wife and two young children living in the United States, called Kerry’s statement “a tremendous step forward in our government’s involvement in securing Pastor Saeed’s freedom.”
Kerry, in a press statement issued while in the Middle East, said, “I am deeply concerned about the fate of U.S citizen Saeed Abedini, who has been detained for nearly six months and was sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran on charges related to his religious beliefs.”
The statement came hours after ACLJ released a letter from Abedini recounting the torture he is enduring and one day after a State Department official mentioned Abedini’s case before the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Prior to that mention, State Department and White House officials had previously addressed Abedini’s case in public only when questioned by reporters and others, Fox News said.
Naghmeh Abedini, Saeed Abedini’s wife, said, “I am very happy to read that although Secretary Kerry has asked for medical treatment for Saeed, he does not stop there and states that the best outcome is Saeed’s immediate release.”
Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ’s executive director, testified at the congressional hearing alongside Abedini’s wife and said March 22 he was pleased with Kerry’s “bold and public statement” on the pastor’s behalf.
“The voice of nearly 550,000 people worldwide is being heard and is now being echoed by the top diplomat of the United States,” Sekulow said, referring to a petition for Abedini’s release at SaveSaeed.org.
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