Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Was Not Hanged, ACLJ Reports
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has not been hanged.
Stories and photos circulated across Facebook last weekend showing a man who was supposedly Nadarkhani facing a noose. However, the American Center for Law and Justice’s (ACLJ) sources report that he was still alive as of Saturday afternoon.
“Reports that his execution occurred … are false, and images being circulated purporting to be from his execution are outdated and demonstratively false,” the ACLJ said. “The ACLJ still believes that the execution order has been issued, but we can confirm that as of today Pastor Youcef is still alive. International pressure continues to build on Iran.”
The U.S. House has approved a resolution condemning Iran and calling for the immediate release of Nadarkhani last week. Authorities arrested him in his home city of Rasht in October 2009 on charges that he questioned obligatory religion classes in Iranian schools. After finding him guilty of apostasy, the court of appeals in Rasht in November 2010 issued a written confirmation of his charges and death sentence.
The ACLJ, which heard from more than 180,000 Americans urging House members to approve H. Res. 556, says it’s Tweet for Youcef campaign is now reaching nearly 1 million Twitter accounts worldwide calling for the release of Nadarkhani. More than 3,500 people have signed on to send one Tweet a day on behalf of Pastor Nadarkhani. The Tweet for Youcef campaign has attracted the attention of celebrities and media representatives worldwide.
