"Media Advocacy" Critical for Pastor Youcef

I want to thank FOX News and the numerous news organizations that have been reporting on Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. In an interview today with FOX host Megyn Kelly, it became very clear that Iran is doing all that it can to politicize the case of this Christian pastor, facing death because of his religious beliefs.

As you know, we received confirmation from our sources in Iran that Pastor Youcef was alive as of Sunday. Iran is facing world scrutiny for its political and military actions in recent weeks. And, while they would like nothing better than to turn Pastor Youcef's case into a political matter, that's not going to happen.

The media understands what is happening here. This is a human rights case. Not a political issue. And, Iran is in violation of international law.

As I told Megyn today, the fact is that Pastor Youcef is still alive because of the media attention and global support for Pastor Youcef. I call it 'media advocacy' - advocating for the release of this husband and father of two through the media.

We also know that our social network is playing a key role in all of this. Our Tweet for Youcef campaign is growing rapidly, with more than 3,000 people signed up, reaching nearly 900,000 Twitter accounts around the globe.

Nearly 160,000 Americans already have signed on to our petition urging members of Congress to support a resolution condemning Iran and calling for the immediate release of Pastor Youcef. A vote is expected on Wednesday in the U.S. House on that resolution, and we expect wide, bi-partisan support.

This is the time to keep the pressure on Iran. We will continue to do that through interviews with the news media, in this country and abroad, our own radio and television broadcasts, our website, and our Tweet for Youcef campaign.

Please keep Pastor Youcef in your prayers.