Sen. Rand Paul has issued the following letter to President Hassan Rouhani of Iran urging the release of American Pastor Saeed Abedini. The text of the letter can be found below:
LETTER TEXT:
January 24, 2014
His Excellency Hassan Rouhani
President
The Islamic Republic of Iran
Sa’dabad Palace
Tehran, Iran
President Rouhani,
I am writing to you today to urge you to commute the sentence of Pastor Saeed Abedini and release him from prison. I have recently met with his wife, Naghmeh, and she is very concerned for her husband’s well-being. His health is deteriorating and he is apparently under constant threat of harm from both prison personnel and other inmates at Rajaei Shahr prison.
I wish to remain cautiously optimistic regarding the recent diplomatic progress between our two nations. However, I must point out that if something were to happen to Pastor Abedini while he is incarcerated, any good will forged over the past few months would likely evaporate. Conversely, granting clemency to Pastor Abedini and allowing him to return to the United States would do much to create a positive atmosphere that would reflect well on future discussions.
Cooperation and trust are built one gesture at a time and actions speak louder than words.
Sincerely,
Rand Paul, M.D.
United States Senator