A Boise, Idaho woman, whose pastor husband has been in an Iranian prison since 2012 will tell their story to a key US House committee Tuesday. NaghmehAbedini has been crisscrossing the U-S and Europe urging government and business leaders to bring pressure on Iran to free her husband.
SaeedAbedini, an ordained minister who holds joint U-S Iranian citizenship, was sentenced to eight years in prison three years ago as he helped build an orphanage in Iran. Since the early 2000's, both Abedinis had been active in the house church movement in Iran, a movement tolerated by the government until MahmoudAhmedinejad was elected president in 2005. With the crackdown, the couple moved to Boise, but he returned to Iran in 2009 to visit his family. On that trip, Abedini was released on his promise to stop all house church work, but he was still permitted to work on other non-sectarian humanitarian projects.
Naghmeh's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee precedes a vote on a resolution demanding that Saeed and two other American prisoners be released.
A similar resolution sponsored by Idaho Senator Jim Risch was approved unanimously by the Senate last month.