3.27.2006
Afghans to Free Christian Convert (ChicagoTribune.com)
By Kim Barker
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published March 26, 2006, 6:19 PM CST
KABUL, Afghanistan —The Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam for Christianity will be released for mental evaluation soon, possibly Monday, Afghan officials said, potentially defusing a case that sparked international outrage and caused many to question which way the country was heading.
A Kabul court tossed out the case Sunday, sending it back to the prosecutor's office for more investigation, Judge Ansarullah Mawlawizada said.
Doctors will evaluate whether Abdul Rahman is mentally ill. The court also wants to know whether Rahman, 42, holds a passport for another country.
While Rahman could be granted asylum in a Western country, officials fear that would open the door to other Afghans converting because it would be a guaranteed way out of the country. If Rahman has another passport, that would skirt the asylum issue.
Rahman has spent more than a month in jail since he showed up at a police station and announced that he had converted to Christianity.
(More ... Chicago Tribune | Afghans to free Christian convert) ¶ 19:16
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published March 26, 2006, 6:19 PM CST
KABUL, Afghanistan —The Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for abandoning Islam for Christianity will be released for mental evaluation soon, possibly Monday, Afghan officials said, potentially defusing a case that sparked international outrage and caused many to question which way the country was heading.
A Kabul court tossed out the case Sunday, sending it back to the prosecutor's office for more investigation, Judge Ansarullah Mawlawizada said.
Doctors will evaluate whether Abdul Rahman is mentally ill. The court also wants to know whether Rahman, 42, holds a passport for another country.
While Rahman could be granted asylum in a Western country, officials fear that would open the door to other Afghans converting because it would be a guaranteed way out of the country. If Rahman has another passport, that would skirt the asylum issue.
Rahman has spent more than a month in jail since he showed up at a police station and announced that he had converted to Christianity.
(More ... Chicago Tribune | Afghans to free Christian convert) ¶ 19:16
