Iran: Death by hanging sentence for Christian Pastor Nadarkhani temporarily overturned

On Sunday, July 3, 2011, Iran's Supreme Court overturned the death sentence that a lower court had imposed on Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.

“The Supreme Court has annulled the death sentence and sent the case back to the court in Rasht, asking the accused to repent,” said Youcef’s attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah.

The court’s decision lifts Nadarkhani’s death sentence under the condition that he “repent” (recant) his Christian faith. It is unclear whether the death sentence will be re-imposed if he refuses to recant.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, has been in prison since October 2009. He is to be executed by hanging. If the death sentence had been carried out, it would have been the first court-ordered execution of a Christian in Iran in 20 years.


For more: Persecution.com