An Afghan Christian, detained for months for converting to Christianity from Islam, could face trial and a potential death penalty

Said Musa was arrested by Afghan Interior Ministry intelligence authorities near the German Embassy in Kabul because of the allegations, said Qamaruddin Shenwari, director of the Kabul courts' north zone. The case against Musa has not yet been finalized, said Mohammad Najim Hamidi, director of public security at Zone 3 of the Kabul courts. The Afghan Constitution does not mention converting from one religion to another, so the judge will take Islamic law into account, officials said. "According to Afghanistan's constitution, if there is no clear verdict as to whether an act is criminal or not in the penal code of the Afghan Constitution, then it would be referred to sharia law where the judge has an open hand in reaching a verdict," Shenwari said. Under sharia law, converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death.