Christian Afghan released, held at secret location

An Afghan boy stands in front of the Baba Wali shrine in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Monday. An Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has appealed for asylum in another country, the UN said on Monday. PHOTO: AP

An Afghan facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity was out of prison but being held at a secret location yesterday amid fears of more protests to demand his execution under Islamic law.

Abdul Rahman was released from a maximum security jail on the outskirts of the capital late on Monday, Justice Minister Sarwar Danish said.

"Last night he was released from custody," Danish said.

Prison judicial officials would not say where Rahman had been taken. A UN source said he was being held at a UN compound but the world body would not confirm this. A relative also said he did not know where Rahman was.

Authorities meanwhile braced for more protests after about 200 people demonstrated in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday to demand Rahman's execution in accordance with Shariah law.

Rahman, 41, was arrested this month under Shariah which says he should be sentenced to death unless he reverts to Islam.

His case has prompted an international outcry, with Afghanistan's Western allies putting unprecedented pressure on the new democratic government to honor freedom of religion.

But some circles inside the deeply religious country have condemned Western "interference" in the matter and insisted Afghanistan abide by Shariah, on which the Constitution is partly based.

The UN said late on Monday that Rahman had asked to be given asylum outside Afghanistan.

"We expect that this will provided by one of the countries interested in a peaceful solution to this case," spokesman Adrian Edwards said.

A Western diplomat said the sensitivity of the case was making countries think twice about accepting Rahman.

"The public unhappiness seems to be very strong and any country that decides to take him in risks becoming a target of demonstrations, which no one wants," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Western and troops in Afghanistan were the focus of days of demonstrations last month against European cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, in which 11 people were killed.

The US, which is the main donor to Afghanistan and has led the protests against Rahman's possible execution, said it "would support efforts to find him a safe haven."

The justice minister said that Rahman was released because there were problems with the case presented against him in court and doubts over his mental capacity to stand trial.

The time the courts had to start the trial against him had also lapsed, Danish said.

Officials Rahman underwent tests on Monday to assess his capacity to face trial after his relatives had said he was "mad." He himself admitted to hearing voices in his head, they said.

Afghan Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Ishaq Aliko said yesterday the courts were still awaiting the results of the tests. The case could be reopened if Rahman was found to be mentally fit to stand trial, he said.