Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Facing Imminent Execution in Iran for Not Recanting Christianity

UPDATE: Photo of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and his wife Tina

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani faces execution as early as Wednesday if he doesn't recant his Christian faith.

From ACLJ:

"Pastor Youcef will be brought to the court for two additional 'hearings' on September 27th and 28th for the sole purpose of being called upon to recant his Christian faith. The ACLJ’s sources report although Pastor Youcef’s attorneys will attempt to appeal the case, there is no guarantee that the provincial court will not act on its own interpretation of Shariah law and execute pastor Youcef as early as Wednesday."
. . .
"It is reported that Pastor Youcef was able to see his children for the first time since March and was in good spirits speaking of how he longed to serve the church upon his release."

From Nina Shea at National Review:

"As early as this week, the British-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports, Iran may execute Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani for refusing to recant his Christian faith.

"As my colleague Paul Marshall recently wrote, evangelical Pastor Nadarkhani was sentenced to death for apostasy because he converted to Christianity. He had been tried and found guilty a year ago, even though the court also found that he had never been a practicing Muslim as an adult. Nadarkhani, from Rasht, on the Caspian Sea, converted to Christianity as a teenager.

"Iran’s Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict in June, ordered that the pastor be given four chances to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. Two hearings for this purpose took place yesterday and today. Two more are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday."