European Court Stops Deportation of Afghan Christian

11/12/2019 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – The European Court of Human Rights has stopped the deportation of an Afghan Christian convert from Switzerland. According to the court’s ruling, the Christian would have faced serious danger if forced to return to Afghanistan.

Speaking to the media, Robert Clarke, Director of European Advocacy for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, said, “Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. Our society has a responsibility to protect those who are facing torture, imprisonment, or death due to their religious beliefs. Afghanistan counts as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians and, in particular, for converts.”

Afghanistan’s constitution does protect religious freedom. However, as explained by the ADF, the constitution also establishes Islam as the country’s official religion and prohibits the enactment of any law contradicting Islamic beliefs.

This creates a parallel legal system that investigates “crimes against God” which includes blasphemy and conversion from Islam. According to ADF, the punishments for conversion can include the beheadings for males, life imprisonment for females, confiscation of property, and loss of inheritance.

According to Open Doors USA, Afghanistan is considered the second most dangerous country in the world for Christians. According to that report, “to convert to a faith outside Islam is tantamount to treason because it is seen as a betrayal of family, tribe and country.”

Source: https://www.persecution.org/2019/11/12/european-court-stops-deportation-afghan-christian/