I move:
That Seanad Éireann:
regrets that Pastor Jousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to death for ‘abandoning the faith of his ancestors';
notes that Pastor Nadarkhani has not been convicted by any court in the Islamic Republic of Iran of anything other than apostasy;
notes further that the appeals court of Gilan province found that Pastor Nadarkhani was not a practising Muslim at any point in his adult life;
recognises that the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran explicitly recognises the Christian community as a protected religious community;
is dismayed that Pastor Nadarkhani has been repeatedly asked to recant his faith under threat of execution;
is relieved that the appeals court of Gilan province has asked the Leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, to express his opinion on the case; and
welcomes the representations made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Iranian authorities protesting the death sentence passed on Pastor Nadarkhani and encourages continuing efforts by the Government on his behalf.
