Baptist Press - Obama Speaks to Iran's Leader of U.S. Pastor
By Grace Thornton, BPNews.net
A historic phone call between President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Sept. 27 capped a significant week in the case of an American pastor imprisoned in Iran.
During the 15-minute call, Obama voiced concern for Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen who marked a year of incarceration for his Christian faith Sept. 26. Though Secretary of State John Kerry has called for Abedini's release, this was the President's first time to speak out on the pastor's behalf. . . .
Obama's move was "a significant step forward in this critical case," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents Naghmeh Abedini. "We're ... grateful to President Obama for raising Pastor Saeed's imprisonment and call on President Rouhani to put his promise of being 'moderate' into action by releasing Saeed without further delay.". . .