ICC Note:
Brazilian protesters have come out in force at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, to demand that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad release Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, the Christian Post reports.
By Andrea Madambashi
6/25/2012 Iran (Christian Post) – Brazilian protesters have come out in force at Rio+20 – the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, to demand that Iran release Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.
The protest was organized Brazilian Pastor Silas Malafaia and took place on Thursday in front of the Royal Tulip Hotel in Sao Conrado, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The protest location was chosen as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was staying at that hotel as a conference delegate.
Aiming to draw the attention of the Iranian president and the international press, protesters held banners that read “President Ahamdinejad free Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani! Religious Freedom in Iran now!”
An official letter was also delivered to the Iranian president, in which Brazilian Christian pastors made a plea for the life of Pastor Nadarkhani, who has been arrested and imprisoned in Iran. He has been accused of apostasy for having converted from Islam, and many fear he will face the death penalty.
“We, Christian pastors of Brazil, representing millions of evangelicals in our country, hereby appeal for the life of your co-citizen imprisoned, Mr. Youssef (sic) Nadarkhani, who has through the Internet sent out appeals for prayers on his behalf and on behalf his family.”
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