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The Iranian government is now taking steps to extend his eigh-year sentence, threatening to file new charges. Pastor Saeed shared with his family, that he was interrogated and prision officials repeatedly attacked him with a taser. This news comes shortly after his wife, Nagmeh Abedini, met with the U.N General Assembly and 67 members signed a letter calling for Pastor Saeed's release.
Despite the news of his treatment, Nagmeh continues petitioning for his freedom. She is asking others to take part in an international prayer vigil to remember her husband and the persecuted Church. "I thought... to do a prayer vigil and remember him as the Bible says to remember those who are in prison as if you are in prision with them", Nagmeh told CBN News.
Pastor Saeed previously expressed in a letter that nothing has encouraged him more than knowing "that in my chains the body of Christ has chained together" in prayer. There will be 810 vigils taking place in 38 countries and territories around the world. Visit #savesaeed to find a vigil near you.
International Prayer Vigils for Pastor Saeed - CBN.com
Many of the Christians who fled ISIS are not in the larger refugee camps. Instead, they live in neighborhoods throughout Kurdistan and in Erbil. After one of the church services, CBN News spoke with some refugees from Mosul -- ancient Ninevah -- and from the Christian town of Quaracosh. Many had similar stories about ISIS. "At the end of the city, ISIS had a checkpoint," Laith Ganem told CBN News. "They put a gun to my head and said, 'Whatever you have in your pockets, take it out.'" "One of our neighbors told us, 'They killed your cousin because he was a Christian.' They told us we had to leave," Wisam Jubrael said.
The transition from normal life to refugee status has been hard. "In such kind of circumstances, it's really hard for families to live all together," Sabah Jamil said. "For example, we came here and found out we would be living in a small apartment with five or six families. It was very difficult for us." A year ago just after they fled, CBN News interviewed the pastor of one church. Today, he is continuing to shepherd his flock. "First, when we came here for about eight months, I was asking all the charity organizations, humanitarian organizations to go and visit the people, and the only reason behind it was giving out the Word of God to the people. So, God showed me His Word is not only words, but actions," Pastor Abu Fadi said.
Even when the electricity goes out -- a common occurrence in Erbil -- the service goes on. Like Christians around the world, they gratefully celebrate communion. Like many others, Rota Abdullah Mora asked for prayer. "God has moved us and saved us from Quaracosh to here. That means he was faithful to us, but right now we need a faithful heart so please pray for us to have a faithful heart," Mora said. "I'm really very proud of the Christians because the Christians, they left everything behind and they followed Christ," Ganem added. "The Christians of Iraq, they need the other parts of the world to pray for them because they are really in need spiritually, physically and emotionally," another said. "They really need to pray for us to live in peace and experience the peace of Jesus."
Miryam, the 10-year-old girl seen by thousands on the Internet forgiving ISIS, came to the service, still sharing her childlike faith. "Whatever situation we are in, it is because God allowed it," Miryam said. "We don't know how to deal with this life unless we have Jesus with us."
Christian Refugees: 'Please Pray for Us' - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com
The move seeks to ease the strain on Greece and Italy, which are the main entry points to the European Union. It also seeks to ease the strain on Germany, which is the migrants' top destination.
During a visit to Germany on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said America needs to step up its refugee response because of the Syrian crisis.
Kerry said the United States will accept 85,000 refugees next year, up from 70,000 this year. The number will rise to 100,000 in 2017.
Germany's interior minister said migrants will have to stay in the country they're resettled to. He warned that if they don't stay, they will be returned to the country the European Union assigned them for resettlement and the country will take them back.
EU Agrees to Resettle 120,000 Migrants, Refugees - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com
Saturday marked three years since the Iranian-born American pastor was thrown in jail. Although Saeed has been beaten and tortured, he won't recant his faith. Beth Adonai, a Messianic Jewish congregation in Atlanta, came to together to pray for Saeed and hear a message from the pastor's wife, Naghmeh.
Rabbi Scott Sekulow said it's time for believers of all backgrounds to believe for Pastor Saeed's release. "I really thought as a Jewish believer praying for a(n) Arab believer, that's really what it's all about," he said. "Our theme for our congregation is Jew and Gentile worshipping together and when we bring that kind of promise together we will move mountains." "And this is the time of Succot, of remembering what God has done for our people, bringing us out of captivity," he continued. "And we believe this is the time to set Pastor Saeed free."
Sekulow is brother to Jay Sekulow, chief council of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is fighting for Pastor Saeed's release.
Messianic Rabbi Joins Vigil for Pastor Saeed - World - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com
Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of imprisoned American Pastor Saeed Abedini, has slammed the apparent offer by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to free her husband in exchange for releasing Iranian prisoners being held in the United States. Naghmeh argued that her husband is not "collateral" to be treated as such. "My husband is not collateral. He is a father and a man who broke no law. Yet Iran is treating him like a pawn in a game of chess. President Rouhani's demand that America release 19 criminals in exchange for his consideration of releasing individuals like my husband, imprisoned solely for his faith, demonstrates that the Iran of today is no different than the Iran who took Americans hostage during the Iranian revolution," Naghmeh Abedini said.
Pastor Saeed Abedini, his wife Naghmeh and his two children in this undated family photo.
"The environment is ripe for Iran to demonstrate it is ready to re-enter the global market and international scene of diplomats; it is time to show its good will, to change its image from one of a pariah to a member of the global society who will protect fundamental rights," she added. Rouhani, who has been pressured by leaders around the world to free the American pastor, was asked about the issue in an interview with CNN on Sunday. He suggested that the only way Abedini and other imprisoned Americans are going to be set free is if the U.S. government agrees to reach out with the same gesture to imprisoned Iranians.
"If the Americans take the appropriate steps and set [a number of Iranians in the United States who are imprisoned] free, certainly the right environment will be open and the right circumstances will be created for us to do everything within our power and our purview to bring about the swiftest freedom for the Americans held in Iran as well," Rouhani said. "If the Americans take the appropriate actions vis-a-vis Iranian citizens who are being imprisoned here, then the right atmosphere and environment will be created for reciprocal action perhaps," he added. The American Center for Law and Justice, which represents Naghmeh and the couple's two children in the U.S., called the demand "absurd and insulting," and said that Iran is treating Abedini as a "hostage for ransom."
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We would like to appeal for your urgent action to request a thorough investigation by UN Special Rapporteur on Iran into the death of Mr Shahrokh Zamani, a jailed labour activist, in Rajaee Shahr prison on 13 September 2015. The prison authorities in Iran have claimed that Shahrokh has died as a result of stroke. This claim is highly suspicious! This claim is suspicious because the Islamic regime’s authorities have long been adopting a well-publicised strategy to kill political prisoners instead of executing them. This is done through depriving them of any medical attention and medication and wait for them to die and then announce they have died of illnesses or natural causes. By adopting this strategy, Rouhani’s regime avoids making negative international headlines.
Who was Shahrokh Zamani? Shahrokh Zamani was a labour activist serving 11-years sentence in Rajai Shahr prison in the city of Karaj in Iran. Shahrokh was four years into his prison sentence. Shahrokh’s cellmate found his cold body, with blood in his mouth and nose, when he tried to wake him up in the morning of 13 September 2015. According to Shahrokh’s daughter, he had no prior illnesses. The authorities in Iran have refused a request for autopsy by Shahrokh’s family.
Shahrokh Zamani was a member of Committee of the Tehran Painters’ Union, and a member of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers’ Organisations. He was arrested in the city of Tabriz in June 2011. During his imprisonment, he was never given a leave from prison and in the last 3 years of his sentence, he was deprived of having regular visits with his family. While in prison, Zamani was physically and psychologically tortured and was transferred to several different prisons in order to exert more pressure on him. The prison authorities put Shahrokh’s life to even more danger by keeping him, in some prisons, among non-political prisoners. Zamani described his treatment in one of his many letters by stating that: “Lastly I want to emphasize that the offices of the intelligence services have threatened my life both directly and indirectly: by poisoning, exposure to prisoners with Aids, unleashing the mentally ill, violent and dangerous inmates on me..” Letter is attached.
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