[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             PASTOR YOUCEF

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, this evening the House will consider H. Res. 
556, condemning Iran for their persecution, imprisonment, and 
sentencing to death of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. Pastor 
Youcef has been in prison for 2\1/2\ years now under the charges of 
apostasy and condemned to death by hanging. His wife, too, was arrested 
and condemned to life in prison, but later released.
  Christians and other religious minorities are under assault in Iran 
today. Hundreds have been imprisoned and many have been executed on 
trumped-up charges. In fact, while the official charges against Pastor 
Youcef are apostasy and evangelism, the state media said that he has 
been charged with rape and extortion.
  The authorities in Iran know that they are violating both their own 
constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their 
treatment of Pastor Youcef and other minorities.
  This week, the House will call on Iran to respect these agreements 
and to release Pastor Youcef so that he, his wife, and children may 
practice their religion freely and not according to the dictates of the 
state.

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