a Christian minister convicted of apostasy. Various Christian groups and the State Department all spoke out against the impending hanging. But Iranian officials subsequently denied that any execution had been approved by the Judiciary. It is thought unlikely that the regime would execute any Christians, Jews or foreigners at this juncture when such an execution could exacerbate tensions and make things even harder for the regime. The regime is also rewriting history, denying that Naderkhani was convicted of apostasy. Gilan Province Deputy Governor General Ali Razvani said Naderkhani was convicted of running a brothel and security offenses.
