Iranian pastor's case referred to ayatollah

The case of imprisoned Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani now has been referred to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, Agence France-Presse, a French news service, reported Oct. 10.

The ayatollah has ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and AFP said the move to involve him in the case could mean a delay in the final verdict, which had been expected Monday.

"The step to involve the most powerful leader in Iran demonstrates that Iran is feeling the pressure," Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, said. "Involving the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in a case before a regional court is unusual. We can be certain if the lies spread by Iran were true -- that Youcef was instead convicted of rape, extortion and Zionism -- the court would not seek the advice of the Supreme Ayatollah.

"Now that Iran's Supreme Leader will be considering the case, it is imperative that our top diplomat, Secretary of State Clinton, call for Pastor Youcef's unconditional release," Sekulow wrote in a post on the group's website Oct. 10. To read more, click here.