Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, who left Islam as a teenager to turn to Christianity, was sentenced to death in his native Iran for refusing to return to his former religion, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.

He was sentenced after defying a request by Iran’s Gilan provincial court, which ordered him to repent and convert back to Islam.

In October 2009, he was arrested while attempting to register his church in his home city of Rasht. His first conviction occurred in 2010, he was charged for evangelizing Muslims and abandoning Islam.

Iran’s Supreme Court intervened and was able to delay the sentence. However, on September 29th, the case was reviewed and the death penalty from the previous conviction was upheld.

The pastor stood before the court and said that he had no intention of returning to Islam, claiming that his previous beliefs were “blasphemous.”

Once again, Youcef’s defense will appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking an acquittal of all charges. The pastor’s lawyer believes there is a 95% chance that his sentence will be annulled.

However, his supporters fear that Iranian court will use a law, temporarily ratified by parliament, to execute him this week.

source: Dailymail.co.uk