(UPDATE Jan. 7: Christian Solidarity Worldwide has reported that Church of Iran pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was released earlier today after being imprisoned again on Christmas Day.

However, his lawyer Mohammed Ali Dadkhah remains in jail for "actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime.")

Church of Iran pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was returned to prison on Christmas Day to complete the remainder of his three-year sentence–that is, 45 days of it.

In September, an Iranian court acquitted Nadarkhani of blasphemy charges, but sentenced him to three years of prison for evangelizing Muslims. Nadarkhani had already spent nearly three years in jail awaiting the verdict and was released after posting bail.

But Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)now reports that the prison director ordered that Nadarkhani be returned to jail because the pastor "had been released several days too early due to the insistence of his lawyer, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah. The pastor has now been returned to prison to serve ...

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