A man who converted from Islam to Christianity is facing the death penalty in Iran for refusing to return to his former religion.
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, of the Church of Iran, faces hanging after refusing a court order to renounce his Christian faith.
If the execution goes ahead it would be the first Christian to be officially executed in Iran for religious reasons in 20 years.
The pastor had defied a request by the Gilan provincial court, in the Iranian city of Rasht, to repent ahead of today’s hearing.
