Convert to Christianity may be unfit to stand trial

An Afghan man facing a possible death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity may be mentally unfit to stand trial, a state prosecutor said today.

Abdul Rahman has been charged with rejecting Islam, a crime under Afghanistan’s Islamic laws.

His Kabul trial started last week and he confessed to becoming a Christian 16 years ago.

If convicted, he could be executed.

But prosecutor Sarinwal Zamari said questions have been raised about his mental fitness.

“We think he could be mad. He is not a normal person. He doesn’t talk like a normal person,” he said.