{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004439/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2327", "Wolf: Troubling Developments In Plight Of Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini", "2013-11-06", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Frank Wolf", "W000672", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Contact: Jill Shatzen  \n\t(202) 225-5136\n\n\tWOLF EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN ABOUT TROUBLING DEVELOPMENTS\n\tIN PLIGHT OF IRANIAN-AMERICAN PASTOR SAEED ABEDINI  \n\tUrges President Obama to Again Personally Engage and Urgently Seek His Release\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tWashington, D.C. (November 6, 2013) \u2013 Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today spoke out against the recent transfer of Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini from the notorious Evin Prison to the even more brutal Rajai Shahr Prison and urged President Obama to again personally engage and seek Pastor Abedini\u2019s immediate release.\n\n\tIn a November 4 letter to President Obama describing this development, the American Center for Law and Justice cited comments made by a Dutch diplomat stationed in Tehran in 2005 describing the fate of many who are transferred to this particular prison: \u201cRajai Shahr is the place where political prisoners who are seen as a nuisance, are stowed away.\u00a0 Going to Karaj [the location of the prison] is a severe punishment.\u00a0 Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press.\u00a0 In Rajai Shahr, political prisoners have to share cells with dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug addicts who don't hesitate to attack their cell mates. They have nothing to lose: many of them are condemned to death anyway. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence.\u201d\n\n\tIn light of these grim realities and the continued unjust detention of Pastor Abedini, Wolf made the following statement:\n\n\t\u201cI am deeply troubled by the latest news out of Iran regarding the fate of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen, who has already spent more than a year behind bars because of his Christian faith.\u00a0\u00a0 With this development \u2013 a development without explanation or notice \u2013 Pastor Abedini\u2019s life is further endangered.\u00a0\u00a0Time is of the essence.\u00a0 President Obama and Secretary Kerry must again engage at the highest levels and press in clear and unequivocal terms for the immediate and unconditional release of this innocent man.\u00a0 Tehran brutally represses its own people, especially religious minorities including Christians and Baha\u2019is.\u00a0 America always has an obligation to stand with those whose voices have been silenced wherever they may be.\u00a0 But that is perhaps no more true than when one of our own citizens is at the mercy of a murderous regime.\u00a0 Such is the case with Pastor Abedini.\u201d\u00a0\n\n\tThis is the latest in a series of efforts by Wolf aimed at securing the release of Pastor Abedini.\u00a0 In March, Wolf, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, held a hearing to raise awareness about religious freedom abuses in Iran, specifically focusing on Abedini\u2019s case.\n\n\tWolf, along with several other members of Congress, followed up on the hearing with a letter to Secretary Kerry urging that religious freedom and specifically Pastor Abedini\u2019s release be State Department priorities.\n\n\tWolf\u2019s legislation to create a special envoy at the State Department charged with focusing exclusively on the plight of religious minorities in South Central Asia and the Middle East overwhelmingly passed the House in September.\n\n\tFor more on Wolf\u2019s work on this issue, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004439/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2327"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4817328192293644, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}