AFGHANISTAN – Court drops apostasy trial of MBB
27/03/06
Abdul Rahman released in Kabul – rioting feared
An Afghan court on Sunday 26 March dropped its case against a Christian who faces execution for converting from Islam, referring the matter to Kabul's top prosecutor for a final decision, an official said.
The Supreme Court had decided not to pursue its case against Abdul Rahman after hearing testimony that he was mentally disturbed, court spokesman Wakil Omari said.
The attorney general's office in the capital would now decide if the case against Abdul Rahman, 41, should be pursued or dropped.
Its investigation was likely to include medical tests, Omari said.
"The attorney general has the authority to either send back the case to this or any court or even can decide" to release him, Omari said.
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Kabul says Mr Rahman was released from Kabul's main high security Pul-e-Charki prison late on Monday 27 March after officials decided he was mentally unfit to stand trial.
Afghan clerics are continuing to call for execution of the 'apostate', leaving Afghan President Hamid Karzai under tremendous pressure, balancing this call with those from international donors to "seek a favourable resolution to this case at the earliest possible moment."
Interviewed by the Associated Press, the chief cleric at Haji Yacob Mosque, one of four of Kabul’s most popular mosques, said people will kill Rahman if he is freed. Raoulf, a member of the Afghan Ulama Council, the country’s main Islamic organisation, was quoted in the same press release as saying, “We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there’s nothing left.”
Chaos possible
Open Doors' Arie de Pater says, "According to our assessment, the position of the president is very delicate. The release of Abdul Rahman, even with reference to a mental disorder of the accused, might very well lead to massive protests that could cause the fall of Karzai and subsequent chaos."
The news of a possible release of the convert, spiked massive protests in Mazar-e-Sharif Monday morning, as thousands of protestors took to the streets.
"Open Doors calls for massive and united prayer for Abdul Rahman, for other Afghan converts to Christianity and for Afghan Christians in general – for religious freedom in the country, for progress and political stability and for wisdom and boldness to all Afghan authorities involved," said de Pater.
Mr Rahman is currently with officials from the justice ministry, Afghanistan's deputy attorney general Eshaq Aloko said.
"Mr Rahman has asked for asylum outside Afghanistan," said UN spokesman Adrian Edwards in an Associated Press report today.
Mr Edwards said the UN is working with the Afghan government to solve the asylum issue.
Links to more info:
- Full report with photo... (Offsite link, opens in a new window)
- AP story: Lack of evidence cited in decision to drop case
- Video clip of Abdul on Kabul TV: "I am not an infidel nor an apostate – I am a follower of Jesus Christ!" Click on screen shot in upper left area of page to play the video clip. Best viewed with a broadband connection. (Offsite link opens in new window)