Iranian Pastor Nardarkhani to be Re-Tried.

Iranian Pastor Nardarkhani to be Re-Tried.HT: Vinienco.Youcef Nadarkhani, a Christian pastor accused of apostasy will be put on a new trial on August 27. Naderkhani, who refused to repent from being a Christian in earlier judicial proceedings and faces a death sentence, is now facing the new charges of “banditry and extortion.”
The Christian pastor’s earlier charges were “apostasy” and “converting to Christianity,” but the new charges of “banditry and extortion” were first mentioned last year on Fars News Agency.
A source close to the case of Youcef Naderkhani who wishes to remain anonymous on security grounds told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that, “Mr. Naderkhani’s ‘banditry’ charges are fundamentally meaningless; he is not a thief or a bandit. This is a new accusation leveled against him for unknown reasons.”
Youcef Naderkhani, 33, was born to Muslim parents and converted to Christianity at the age of 19. Prior to his arrest, he led a congregation of about 400 Christians in the Northern city of Rasht. Nadarkhani’s death sentence on charges of apostasy was upheld by Branch 11 of Gilan Province’s Appeals Court on August 23, 2010. On June 28, 2011, Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the ruling, but made the decision conditional on Naderkhani’s repentance. There were three court sessions between September 25 and September 28, 2011 in which Youcef Naderkhani was asked to repent and he refused. Nadarkhani is currently in detention inside Rasht Prison.
On September 30, 2011, the charge of “extortion” was mentioned for the first time on Fars News Agency’s website in a news article about Nadarkhani. The article claimed that Youcef Naderkhani is accused of rape and repeated extortion. “Youcef Naderkhani has [committed] security crimes and had set up a house of corruption. This individual is a criminal and his crime is not inviting some to the religion of Christianity, but he has security crimes. Nadarkhani’s death sentence has been issued for security crimes,” Fars quoted Gholamali Rezvani, Deputy Governor of Guilan for Security.Read the full story here.

Rev. Terry Jones calls for worldwide Koran burning if imprisoned Iranian pastor isn't freed.

Rev. Terry Jones calls for worldwide Koran burning if imprisoned Iranian pastor isn't freed.(DN).With the twin spires of the Islamic Center of America in the background, the Rev. Terry Jones praised Christianity and condemned Islam, calling it “of the devil.” “Mohammad was a liar, a pedophile and a false prophet,” Jones said. “I believe that as a Christian.
But as an American who believes in the constitution I believe they have the right to practice their beliefs under the freedom of religion.” Jones — who is on his fourth trip to Dearborn to preach about the dangers of Islam and its agenda of imposing Sharia law on America — also called for a worldwide burning of the Koran on April 28 if an imprisoned pastor in Iran isn’t freed from a death sentence after converting from Islam to Christianity. “I’m asking the imam of the Islamic Center here in Dearborn to work with me to free Minister Youcef,” said Jones, of Youcef Nadarkhani, currently facing death for preaching Christianity in Iran. “If he isn’t freed, I will ask the world to burn the Koran in protest starting at 5 p.m. on April 28th in Gainesville, Fla.” 
At least 30 of Jones’ supporters — some of them openly carrying weapons on their belts as did Jones — shouted an occasional “amen” or “preach it” as Jones spoke. The controversial pastor denied accusations that he is a racist. “Not true,” he said. “Islam is a religion, not a race. I am not a racist.” Jones said that not all Muslims are radicals. “I believe the majority of the people who attend this mosque behind me believe in the constitution,” Jones said.There were no arrests made at the demonstration, according to Dearborn police. "I came back to Dearborn to say what I tried to say the first time I was here," Jones said. "I was banned for three years, but we won that case so now I'm back to talk about the First Amendment. To talk about the appeasement of Muslims by the states and by many universities. "If you look at any government that is under Islamic rule you find no freedom of speech, or religion or for freedom for women." Read the full story here.