An Iranian-born American pastor imprisoned in Iran is set to go on trial Monday, Jan. 21.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers arrested Pastor Saeed Abedini, 32, in September, while he was in Iran to visit his family and work on a project for an orphanage.

His trial has been assigned to a judge who has been accused of human rights violations in the past for his prolific use of the death penalty.

Saeed became a U.S. citizen in 2010 when he married his American wife, Naghmeh Abedini. The Iranian government does not acknowledge his dual citizenship and the U.S. State Department has not taken any definitive action on his behalf.

In a recent letter to his wife, Saeed said he is being beaten regularly and has been told he "will hang" for his faith in Jesus.

"One day there are intense pains after beatings in interrogations; the next day they are nice to you and offer you candy," he wrote.

After being arrested and interrogated in 2009, the Iranian government warned him to cease all activities with Iran's underground Christian community.