Denmark - Iran. Around the world, on Thursday, June 13, 2013, at noon, in front of Iran's diplomatic missions, there will be a peaceful demonstration for an American pastor of Iranian origin, Saeed Abedini, who has been sentenced to 8 years in prison on dubious charges. His real crime in the eyes of the Iranian regime is that he is a Christian of Muslim background and has been active in congregations in Iran that have attracted Iranians of the same background. He has reportedly been subjected to torture in prison in order to make him renounce his Christian faith.
Pastor Saeed's wife, Naghmeh, has approached organizations in the Western world and asked that attention be drawn to the many Iranian Christians who are actually in prison for their faith, but who have been convicted of, for example, being agents of foreign powers, which in the cases we know of cannot be proven - unless any contact with foreign Christian organizations is called agent activity.
Pastor Saeed was arrested in connection with a visit to a humanitarian project in Iran, not in connection with preaching. However, because of his past as a preacher in a Christian, pro-Farsi congregation, he was under the scrutiny of the authorities.
We therefore ask Christians in Denmark to pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini, Pastor Farshid Fathi and the other Christian leaders imprisoned for their faith in Iran on Thursday, June 13 at noon. Pray for the right to freely choose your faith and to practice the faith you choose, whether you are born into it or adopt it of your own free will later in life.