Afghan Who Converted May Be Mentally Unfit To Stand Trial

In Kabul, Afghanistan today, according to the Guardian Unlimited, a state prosecutor said that Abdul Rahman, facing a possible death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity, may be mentally unfit to stand trial. (See prior posting.) The case has attracted widespread international attention. The United States, Britain and other countries that have troops in Afghanistan have raised concern about Rahman's fate. A Western diplomat in Kabul and a human rights advocate both said the government was desperately searching for a way to drop the case because of the reaction it has caused. Afghanistan's constitution provides that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam."