From Kabul comes word of an apparent end to the week-long saga of Abdul Rahman:
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan court on Sunday dismissed a case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence and he will be released soon, officials said.
The announcement came as U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai faced mounting foreign pressure to free Abdul Rahman, a move that risked angering Muslim clerics who have called for him to be killed.
An official closely involved with the case told The Associated Press that it had been returned to the prosecutors for more investigation, but that in the meantime, Rahman would be released.
“The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case,” the official said Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The move came amid apparent threats to Rahman’s life:
Earlier Sunday he was moved to a notorious maximum-security prison outside Kabul that is also home to hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaida militants. The move to Policharki Prison came after detainees threatened his life at an overcrowded police holding facility in central Kabul, a court official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Gen. Shahmir Amirpur, who is in charge of Policharki, confirmed the move and said Rahman had also been begging his guards to provide him with a Bible.
In the meantime, Rahman’s case brought these words from Pope Benedict XVI:
“My thoughts turn, in particular, to those communities who live in countries where there is a lack of religious freedom, or where despite claims on paper, they in truth are subjected to many restrictions,” the pontiff said as he delivered his traditional Sunday blessing from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
“I send them my warmest encouragement to persevere in the patience and charity of Christ,” Benedict added.
So it would appear that this case is ending, thankfully in a manner that preserves Rahman’s life. This doesn’t end the controversy. Freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, are fundamental human rights. The fact that the Muslim world has so little respect for them should be of concern to everyone.
Captain Ed offers these thoughts:
This isn’t the end of the story, and it may well be that Rahman faces more danger now than he did before. Earlier today, before the decision was announced, Afghan authorities transferred Rahman to a maximum-security prison where former Taliban soldiers and al-Qaeda terrorists are detained. One can imagine how precarious Rahman’s fate will be when word gets around the yard about his conversion to Christianity — which will probably be obvious five times a day when Rahman doesn’t kneel in the direction of Mecca. Even if he survives to be released, he faces a nation that overwhelmingly believes he deserves punishment for his religious beliefs, and some may feel it necessary to deliver it personally.
Update: And this story may not be over yet. From CNN:
[O]ther sources in the Afghan judiciary said the case against Abdul Rahman had been thrown out on technical grounds and sent back to prosecutors to gather more evidence. Those same sources said Rahman may not be released.
(…)
The official told AP the case had been returned to prosecutors for more investigation and that Rahman would be released in the meantime.
“The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. AP said the official has been closely involved with the matter.
“The decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow,” AP quoted the official as saying. “They don’t have to keep him in jail while the attorney general is looking into the case.”
Abdul Wakil Omeri, a spokesman for the Supreme Court, confirmed to AP that the case had been dismissed because of “problems with the prosecutors’ evidence
And it appears that the “he’s insane” excuse may still be in play:
Earlier Sunday, AP quoted prosecutor Sarinwal Zamari as saying that doctors would examine Rahman on Monday to determine whether he was mentally fit to stand trial.
“It has been said that he has mental problems,” the prosecutor said. “Doctors will examine him tomorrow and will then report to us.”
Clearly, vigilence is still called for.
More from Michelle Malkin and Wizbang
Previous Post:
The Appropriate Response To The Abdul Rahman Case
Abdul Rahman And The Religion Of Peace
Abdul Rahman And The Nature Of Islam
Condi Steps Up
Free Abdul Rahman
A Fight For The Future
Bush Speaks Out, Softly, On Abdul Rahman
Of Course, He’s Insane
Time To Take A Stand
And These Are the People We Helped Liberate ?
Technorati Tags: Afghanistan, Taliban,Religious Freedom, Abdul Rahman
