AfghanistanIn March 2006, Abdul Rahman, an Afghan citizen, converted to Christianity from Islam, and was facing the death penalty on an apostasy charge. Because the case drew international attention and criticism, it was eventually dropped on technical grounds after presidential intervention, but others have not been so lucky. Other converts were arrested throughout the past decade and their sentences have not been made public, assuming the worst.
Iran
According to intelligence reports, Iran death squads have been employed against those who renounced Islam, either for Christianity or a more neutral or atheist practice. As recently as 2008, 15 ex-Muslims who have since converted to Christianity were charged with apostasy and are still being held to determine their fate. Other known cases, such as Youcef Nadarkhani, have already been sentenced to death, among others.
Egypt
Due to the uncertain nature of the Egyptian government, it is unclear which laws exactly are being enforced, and if the government itself or the population at large is behind all arrests and sentencing. But in 2006, members of parliament expressed the opinion that all members of the Bahá’í Faith were infidels, and should be killed on the spot. Similarly, a 2010 poll showed that 84 percent of Egyptians who identified as Muslim believed that anybody who renounced Islam in the country should be executed.
