clipped from: www.rferl.org   
An Afghan journalism student sentenced to death for allegedly insulting Islam has rejected the charges and told an appeals court in Kabul that he was tortured into a confession.
"As a human being, a Muslim, and a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad, I will never allow myself to insult my ancestor or my religion," Kambakhsh told the court, according to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan. "These are things of which I have been unfairly accused. This accusation is unlawful and I don't know why they did this to me."
The hearing was adjourned until May 25 to allow 24-year-old Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh to consult with an attorney and prepare a written defense.

Kambakhsh was condemned to death by a court in Balkh Province in January at a summary trial for blasphemy at which he had no legal representation.

Afghanistan -- Demonstrators hold pictures of journalism student Perwiz Kambakhsh in front of the UNAMA office to protest the arrest and sentence to death of Kambakhsh for blasphemy, Kabul, 31Jan2007
Kambakhsh supporters protest in Kabul after his death sentence was announced in January