Iranian State-run Media Acknowledges Youcef’s “Christianity”

As the Christian Post reports, Iranian State-run media is once again engaging in lies to divert attention from their human rights abuses against Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.

One report in particular, released by Iran's state-funded network Press TV, denies the issuing of an execution order. It also references Nadarkhani's Christianity, which Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, deems a "slip" on behalf of the Iranian news network. . . .

According to Sekulow, Iran repeatedly uses this method of backtracking to validate its charges and calm the international community, which has been paying close attention to the pastor's case.

However, as shown by Press TV's Friday report, Iran has tried to change Nadarkhani's charges to be nonreligious, so as to avoid criticism for human rights violations.

In Friday's report, however, Press TV mentions Nadarkhani's Christian affiliation, revealing: "[Nadarkhani] made headlines in the Western media which claimed he has been sentenced to death for apostasy."

"Nevertheless, he has not even named the church where it is claimed he has received a degree authorizing him to perform religious duties and ceremonies in Christianity," the report added.

"That quick diction made it clear that this really is an issue about Christianity," Sekulow, analyzing Press TV's report, told CP. . . .

"We knew that our goal of last week was like it was in September, which was 'get [Iran's] attention, hopefully stall them.' This is a sign of that," Sekulow said.

The ACLJ has obtained the original Iranian supreme court verdict convicting Pastor Youcef to death by hanging for his Christian faith in Farsi and translated into English, Portuguese and Russian. Iran has once again been caught in its lies.

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