Afghan Christian Convert Sentenced for Execution is Released
Several news organizations are reporting the Said Musa (alternatively, Sayed Mussa) has been released from prison. An Afghan convert to Christianity, he had been told he was to be hanged for abandoning Islam, with the full support of the Afghan government.
The exact circumstances of his release are unclear:
Mr. Mussa…was released…after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to go forward with the case, said Gen. Qayoum Khan, the detention center director. But…a senior prosecutor involved in the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was released only after agreeing to return to Islam.
Musa appears to have left the country, as did the last public convert to Christianity threatened with execution in Afghanistan. Other Christian converts — as many as 26 were arrested at the same time as Musa — reportedly remain jailed.