Who We are

//

What's happening

//

Our Cases

Featured Page

ACLJ Urges Malaysia To Release Abducted Christian Pastor Raymond Koh

May. 08ACLJ Urges Malaysia To Release...

Christian Pastor Raymond Koh was forcefully abducted by the Malaysian government. He was targeted for allegedly evangelizing Muslims. Now we’re advocating at the U.N., demanding that Malaysia uphold its own constitution, provide answers about Pastor Koh’s forced disappearance, and ultimately find and free him. Who Is Pastor Koh? Pastor Koh ran...More

Active Cases

Save Christian Ayub Brothers

Save Christian Ayub Brothers

On June 8th, 2022, the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, upheld the death sentence of two Christian brothers in a blasphemy case. Christian brothers, Amoon and Qaisar Ayub, were accused of posting blasphemous material on the Internet. Our international affiliate the European Centre for Law and Justice’s (ECLJ)More

Sign Petition

>

Cases

>

News

>

Petitions

>

Who We Are

>

Sign Up For Updates

>

<

Youcef Nadarkhani

We recently, filed a written submission at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) regarding the repeated imprisonment of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran.

Pastor Youcef is an Iranian pastor who was originally imprisoned and sentenced to die for “apostasy” five years ago. In 2012, after nearly 3 years in prison, Pastor Youcef was finally set free. But on July 22, 2018, Iranian agents raided Pastor Youcef’s house, beat him, and rearrested him. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Pastor Youcef remains detained as a prisoner of conscience.

It is critical that Iran release Pastor Youcef and uphold the principles of the U.N. Charter. As we explained to the HRC in our submission:

As a member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran is obligated to adhere to the principles set forth in the U.N. Charter requiring members ‘[t]o achieve international cooperation . . . in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to [inter alia] religion. By repeatedly detaining and trying Pastor Youcef because of his religious expression, the Islamic Republic of Iran is violating its obligations under the U.N. Charter. Therefore, these violations not only concern the Islamic Republic of Iran but this entire Council as well.

We urged the HRC to demand that Iran release of Pastor Youcef and uphold its responsibility to protect the human rights of all its citizens.

This Council must demand the immediate release of Pastor Youcef. The very purpose of this Council is to protect the human rights of individuals living all around the world. It is imperative that this mission be taken seriously and that the Islamic Republic of Iran be reminded of its obligations to actively protect the rights of Pastor Youcef so that he and others can practice their religion peacefully without fear of arrest or violence from their government.

In addition, our international legal team just delivered an oral intervention before the HRC in Geneva on behalf of Pastor Youcef. You can read our oral intervention below:

In Iran, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been repeatedly targeted, arrested, and imprisoned because of his Christian faith.

He was first arrested in 2006 and charged with apostasy and evangelism, then again in 2009 when he criticized the monopoly Islamic authorities had on education in Iran. He was found guilty and sentenced to death-by-hanging. And although he was acquitted and released in September of 2012, three months later he was arrested again on Christmas day.

He was arrested yet again in May of 2016 and subsequently found guilty of Zionism and evangelism. After being notified his appeal had been denied in May of 2018, Pastor Youcef was arrested and imprisoned two months later without any prior notice. It’s reported that the police shattered Pastor Youcef’s door, raided his home, and used electrical batons to beat Pastor Youcef and his son all in front of Pastor Youcef’s wife and other children. These heinous actions cannot be tolerated.

Iran is a member of the United Nations, and as such they have a responsibility to adhere to the principles set forth in the U.N. Charter. Through repeatedly and unlawfully detaining Pastor Youcef because of his religious faith, Iran is violating foundational principles of the charter. This Council must stand against this grave injustice and demand Pastor Youcef’s immediate release.

Join us as we continue to fight for persecuted Christians all around the world to ensure that they are allowed to openly and freely practice their Christian faith.

159,588

Signatures

CeCe Heil  //

Sep 26, 2023

The Human Rights Council was established at the United Nations to promote and protect human rights around the world. It holds three sessions a year and discusses the pressing human rights issues that require...

Shaheryar Gill  //

Sep 18, 2023

Christians are facing increasing persecution and violence in the world’s most populous nation – India – and we’re taking direct action to defend them from this rapidly deteriorating human rights situation.

Christophe Foltzenlogel  //

Sep 12, 2023

In Ethiopia, the Amhara people, who are primarily an Orthodox Christian community, have been subjected to violent and systematic persecution for decades. Now, their situation just worsened, and the government...