Lawyers: U.S. Pastor Being Tortured in Iranian Prison
- Religion Today
- Updated Feb 07, 2013
![Lawyers: U.S. Pastor Being Tortured in Iranian Prison](https://i.swncdn.com/media/700w/crosswalk/resource/areas/crosswalk/resources/images/defaultimages/article-large-landscape.png)
Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini is being tortured in an Iranian prison, according to the American Center for Law and Justice, which has filed an appeal on his behalf, CBN News reports. Abedini is serving eight years in Iran's notorious Evin Prison because of his Christian faith, and the Iranian regime has cut him off from his wife and children who live in the United States. The ACLJ reported that Iranian officials refuse to let Abedini communicate with his family via phone and have been trying to convince him that efforts to secure his freedom have ceased. "When I heard this from my husband, I cried," his wife, Naghmeh, said. "It broke my heart. Behind those walls he feels helpless and relies on us to be his voice. It is so easy to feel forgotten in the walls of the prison. Please help me make sure he is never forgotten." The ACLJ is working with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to urge the Obama administration to intervene on Abedini's behalf.