WASHINGTON — Adding pressure to Iranian officials, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution calling for the immediate release of Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who could be executed any day for his Christian faith.
The resolution passed March 1 by an official vote of 417–1, although the one representative who voted “no” — Lois Capps of California — said she did so by mistake, and she corrected her vote minutes later and said in a floor speech she supports Nadarkhani.
Nadarkhani — whose first name also has been spelled Youcef — was sentenced to death in 2010 for converting from Islam to Christianity in a case that began in 2009. His plight has gained international attention. Several sources close to Nadarkhani say the death order already may have been issued.
The resolution “condemns the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran and its continued violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and calls for the government of Iran to exonerate and immediately release Youcef Nadarkhani and all other individuals held or charged on account of their religion.”
The resolution further states that “numerous government of Iran officials have attempted to coerce Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his Christian faith and accept Islam in exchange for his freedom.” A U.N. official, the resolution says, reported that Iran secretly executed 146 people in 2011 and more than 300 people in 2010.
The White House and State Department also have released official statements urging Iran to free Nadarkhani.
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