Pastor Saeed Abedini (pictured with his daughter Rebekah, and son, Jacob) has been imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith since 2012.
Iranian American Pastor Saeed Abedini dreamt that he was freed from prison and in America by his daughter’s 9th birthday. His wife Naghmeh Abedini told CBN news about Saeed’s dream on Thursday, July 16. Saeed is currently serving an eight year prison sentence in a prison in Karaj, Iran.
“He hopes that he will be here for Rebecca's 9th birthday. He mentioned to his father that the first few months of his imprisonment he'd been in solitary and he had a dream that he was here when Rebecca was not much older. He thought she was maybe 9,” said Naghmeh in an interview with CBN news on Thursday.
Naghmeh added that if Saeed misses their daughter’s 9th birthday, “he would have missed four birthdays.” Four years equates to Saeed being missing from the lives of their children for half their lifetime. Saeed was captured in Summer 2012.
Pastor Saeed Abedini
Naghmeh said that the situations surrounding Saeed’s incarceration have taught her to keep her eyes and her hope on God, “instead of government and officials.” She is hosting prayer vigils across the U.S. on Sept. 26, 2015. People will gather to pray for Saeed and for their family to become stronger in faith.
While serving his prison sentence, the pastor has suffered beatings from prison guards and inmates. He was also denied medical treatment for scars incurred from beatings and medication for internal bleeding. Saeed has been placed in solitary confinement multiple times.
According to Fox news, the pastor was formally charged for “creating a network of Christian house churches” and for “attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam” in Jan. 2013. He was moved from Evin prison, a place known for detainment political prisoners, to Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj on Nov. 2013.
