Reported Apostasy Sentence For Iranian Pastor Draws International Protests

The International Business Times yesterday compiles statements from government leaders around the world, including the White House, protesting the death sentence that was reportedly imposed by Iran on Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani for apostasy-- converting from Islam to Christianity.  Nadarkhani who is pastor in a house church that is part of the Church of Iran network, has refused to recant his conversion. Worthy News earlier this week, recounted the history of  the case:

His arrest is believed to have been due to his questioning of the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of children in Iran, rights activists say.... He was initially charged with protesting, but charges against him were later changed to "apostasy" and "evangelizing Muslims" which carry the death sentence. Nadarkhani was tried and found guilty of "apostasy", or abandoning Islam, in September 2010 and sentenced to death by the court in the city of Rasht. In June this year the Supreme Court of Iran upheld Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani’s death sentence, but asked the lower court in Rasht, which issued the initial sentence, to "re-examine" whether or not he had been a practicing Muslim adult prior to converting to Christianity. The written verdict of the Supreme Court’s decision included provision for annulment of the death sentence if Pastor Nadarkhani recanted his faith, trial observers said.

CNN reported yesterday however that Nadarkhani's lawyer, Mohammadali Dadkhah, says the case is still in progress and there is a 95% chance that the pastor will not receive the death sentence. But to confuse the situation even more, the Fars News Agency apparently reported yesterday that Nadarkhani is being charged not with apostasy, but with rape and extortion. (See prior related posting.)