The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), which represents the family of American Pastor Saeed Abedini, said the agreement reached between the United States and Iran is “unconscionable” because it leaves Pastor Saeed, a U.S. citizen, behind—imprisoned in Iran because of his Christian faith.
“It is unconscionable that the Obama Administration would sign a deal with Iran without securing the freedom of Pastor Saeed who has been imprisoned for nearly three years simply because of his Christian faith,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “President Obama told the Abedini family face-to-face that he considered the release of Pastor Saeed a ‘top priority.’ How could that be a ‘top priority’ when a deal is reached and Pastor Saeed is left behind? What happened today makes a bad deal even worse. We will now focus our attention on convincing Congress to reject this deal.”
Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of American Pastor Saeed, is deeply disappointed with today’s outcome.
“I plead with Congress to ensure that my husband, an American citizen, is not left behind,” said Naghmeh. “With the announcement of a deal and yet silence as to the fate of Saeed and the other Americans held hostage in Iran, their fate lies now in the hands of Congress. I plead with each member of Congress to review the deal with our family at the forefront of their thoughts. Congress holds the key to bringing my husband home, to returning the father to my children. My children have desperately missed the loving embrace of their father for the last three years of their lives. They have grown up almost half of their lives without their father. Please help us ensure the remainder of their childhood includes both a mother and a father.”
Pastor Saeed is one of four Americans currently being held captive in Iran.
The ACLJ, which represents Naghmeh and her two young children, continues its global campaign to free Pastor Saeed and has heard from more than one million people demanding the release of Pastor Saeed.
Led by ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The ACLJ is online here.
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