Iran pastor 'may avoid death' after conversion to Christianity

The lawyer of an Iranian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy (renunciation of a religion) is hopeful an appeals court will acquit him.

Mohammad Ali Dadkhah says he believes in a “95% chance” of acquittal for 32-year-old Youcef Nadarkhani.

Nadarkhani turned to Christianity when he was 19 and later became a pastor in the northern Iranian city of Rasht.

He was convicted of apostasy in 2010 and remains in prison in Rasht.

Dadkhah said today he has appeared before the appeals court over the past four days and expects a ruling by the end of next week.

He says neither Iranian law nor clerics have ever stipulated the death penalty as punishment for converting from Islam to Christianity.