Baptist Press - Iranian Pastor's Attorney Headed to Prison

Baptist Press, BPNews.com

Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani's attorney -- called by many a hero for his representation of religious minorities -- has been convicted and could begin serving a nine-year sentence soon in a development that will leave Nadarkhani without a lawyer. . . .

"This development only reinforces the fact that Iran has no regard for basic human rights," Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), said in a statement. "It also raises further concern about the fate of Pastor Youcef. With his attorney facing nine years in prison, and no other lawyer likely to take the case, Pastor Youcef has no legal advocate, which places him at greater risk.". . .

It's possible that no attorney will step up and represent Nadarkhani. Dadkhah previously told the ACLJ that if he himself was placed in jail, "no attorney would be willing" to take Nadarkhani's case out of fear of "being imprisoned or disbarred" for representing the Christian pastor. Dadkhah represented 12 Christians in Iran in April who had been charged with several crimes, including apostasy -- that is, leaving Islam. . . .

You can read the entire story here.