Three Items of Interest

American Pastor Saeed Abedini Thrown Into Solitary Confinement in Iran
Family members in Iran have confirrmed that American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been imprisoned since last fall, has been placed in solitary confinement with new reports indicating that in addition to the severe, untreated internal bleeding he is experiencing from months of bleeding and torture, he is now facing issues with his kidneys, the ACLJ reports.  The ACLJ confirmed that horrible conditions in Evin Prison led Pastor Saeed and a number of prisoners in Ward 350 to sign a letter expressing to prison officials their concern about the lack of medical care received and the threats and harsh treatment facing family members who came to visit.  The prisoners expressed their dissatisfaction in a peaceful, silent protest in an outside courtyard at the prison, which apparently prompted prison officials to retaliate, selecting 10 of the prisoners and placing them in solitary confinement.  Sources indicate Pastor Saeed is likely to be beaten again, in private, and at the same time, there is concern that his kidneys are no longer operating properly, the result of internal injuries he has received over many months.  Pastor Saeed has been told not to expect medical treatment or care for many months, and has also been told he is no longer permitted to have visitors.
   (Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)

Pastor Saeed Abedini Excluded From State Department's Iran Prisoners List
The U.S.State Department's "virtual embassy" to Iran, which highlights that country's human rights abuses, has a site listing those jailed for dissent or religious beliefs  -  but it doesn't include imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been tortured because of his Christian faith, the Christian Post reports. According to department spokesman Patrick Ventreil, the Virtual Emabssy Tehran page "has a  Faces of Iran site that highlights the cases of dozens of individuals imprisoned in Iran for their political or religious beliefs, their status as a journalist, human rights or women's defender, their role as a student activist, or for simply exercising their universal human right to speak freely.  So we call on the government of Iran to protect this fundamental human right for all its citizens."  The page carries dozens of names, but not that of Abedini, who was sentenced in January to eight years in prison for "threatening the national security."  The State Department claims there's a reason why Abedini, whose dual citizenship is not recognized by Iran, has not been included on the list .  According to a member of the State Department, officials are advocating on his behalf based on his status as an Ameriacan citizen and do not want to dilute that argument by calling him an Iranian citizen.  But Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing Abedini's family in the U.S., said: "The omission of his name from this State Department website is disappointing and represents a missed opportunity for our government to stand up for the rights of a U.S. citizen, who happens to be an Iranian citizen......Doesn't a U.S. citizen.....who holds dual citizenship....deserve to be included on this list?"
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)

Biblical Teaching A Hate Crime in Canada
(WNS) - The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in February that Biblical speech opposing homosexual behavior, including in written form, is essentially a hate crime.  The court upheld the conviction of activist William Whatcott, who distributed flyers regarding the Bible's prohibitions against homosexuality throughout the Saskatoon and Regina neighborhoods in 2001 and 2002.  Justice Marshall Rothstein wrote on behalf of the court: "Passages of (the flyers) combine many of the hallmarks of hatred identified in the case law."  He said the flyers "delegitimizes homosexuals by referring to them as filthy or dirty sex addicts and by comparing them to pedophiles, a traditionally reviled group in society."
  (World News Service, March 212, 2013)