A Sudanese court recently dismissed apostasy charges against four Christians who had been threatened with the death penalty unless they recanted their faith, according to sources.

Judge Ibrahim Hamza dismissed the apostasy charges against the Christians in Central Darfur state, stating that apostasy is no longer a crime in Sudan, their attorney told Morning Star News.

The Christians, who are converts from Islam, were first arrested on June 24.  They were treated terribly while in custody, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a human rights organization. The four were released the same day, but all were later re-arrested under the same charge on June 28.

“On July 3 the men were brought before the prosecutor, who told them they would face the death penalty if they did not renounce their Christian faith and agree not to pray, share their faith or participate in any activities that would identify them as Christians,” CSW said. “The men refused and were charged with apostasy.”