Pastor Saeed Abedini recounts Iranian prison ordeal

Dot Mediano Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Pastor Saeed Abedini, a 35-year-old pastor who was imprisoned in Iran for over three years, was reunited with his family last month. | Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Pastor Saeed Abedini, freed in a prisoner swap with Iran described haunting images of his traumatic experience in an Iranian prison, during which he was maltreated and seriously beaten for not writing a false confession.

In his first interview since his release, Abedini admitted to Fox News' Greta Van Susteren that he suffered a stomach bleed after interrogators beat him for refusing to confess something he didn't do. He was also subjected to constant death threats not only by his interrogators, but also other prisoners. Whilst in Tehran's notorios Evin prison he was once left with an Al Qaeda prisoner who tried to kill him.

Abedini was also taken to several executions to watch people cry and scream while being dragged from their cells to be hanged. For him, the worst thing he witnessed was when they took some Sunnis for execution, taking ten of them to hang, every Wednesday, right before his very eyes.

Pastor Saeed also shared one of his most memorable moments. It was when he went before an Iranian judge accusing him that he was using Christianity to remove government. He replied that his was not his intention, but that he came to start an orphanage, love people and wanted to share the gospel with people. According to Bos News Life, Abedini said that they were only waiting for one thing - for him to deny Christ. He rejoices that he is counted worthy to suffer for Christ. The judge yelled at him after saying he would pray for him.

For the Christian pastor, the best time in captivity was to be with someone else. He referred to his experience when he was imprisoned with retired U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati for 60 days. He felt "very heartbroken" when he saw what happened when he first saw him. He made a plan to talk to him, to encourage him but the best thing he could do was pray.

Abedini also mentioned the entire time he was in the solitary confinement, his Iranian captors did not give him clothing or reading materials.

It was reported last month that Pastor Saeed Abedini was freed as part of a U.S.-Iranian prisoner swap negotiated by the Obama administration. The American Pastor was one of five Americans released by Iran in exchange for clemency to seven Iranians who were indicted or imprisoned in the United States.