London, Apr. 07 (CWNews.com) - An Iranian Christian is facing the death penalty in an Islamic court, according to the human rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Hamid Pourmand, 47, is scheduled to go on trial in a Shari'a court next week on charges of apostasy from Islam and seeking to evangelize Muslims. Under Islamic law, a Muslim who tries to convert to another religion can be put to death.

Pourmand was a colonel in the Iranian army and a member of an Assembly of God church in the port city of Badar-i-Bushehr. He was arrested along with 85 other Christians at a meeting of the church last September. Local human rights groups said he was the only one not released shortly after being arrested.

On February 16, he was tried in a military court on charges he misled his superiors about his conversion 25 years ago. Non-Muslims are not allowed to become officers in the military. While Pourmand testified that his superiors knew about his faith, the evidence he presented was rejected and he was sentenced to three years in prison. His wife and children were evicted from their home and lost his pension.

Pourmand is the first Iranian to be charged with apostasy since 1993.