Pastor being held in Iran sends letter to family

An Idaho woman received a Christmas letter from her imprisoned husband in Iran.
Pastor Saeed Abedini is two-years into his eight-year sentence. He is charged with “undermining the national security of Iran because of Christian gatherings.”

He wrote a Christmas letter to his family and supporters. It reads in part,
“Merry Christmas! These days are very cold here. My small space beside the window is without glass making most nights unbearable to sleep. The treatment by fellow prisoners is also quite cold and at times hostile. Some of my fellow prisoners don’t like me because I am a convert and a pastor. They look at me with shame as someone who has betrayed his former religion. The guards can’t even stand the paper cross that I have made and hung next to me as a sign of my faith and in anticipation of celebrating my Savior’s birth. They have threatened me and forced me to remove it.”

Saeed wasn’t supposed to be able to have visitors until January, but he was allowed some last week.

KIDK Eyewitness News anchor Todd Kunz asked his wife, Naghmeh, what it was like to receive this unexpected letter from him.

“Receiving the letter was very emotional for me. It was like a Christmas present to receive a letter from him. But at the same time, it was very hard to know the harsh conditions he continues to face daily,” she said.

To see the full letter from Saeed to his family click here.