"Let me stress that a sentence to death or any punishment for converting from one religion to the another is in strong contradiction with everything NATO stands for," Rasmussen said.

"NATO is based on the principles of human rights, rule of law, freedom, democracy," he said at his monthly news conference.

Musa Sayed, an Afghan who works for the International Committee of the Red Cross, was among two men arrested in May on apostesy charges and has languished in a Kabul jail as his case drags on.

A prosecutor said in November that the two men could face the death penalty.

"I have no information about the possible involvement of the Afghan government in that," Rasmussen said. "I would be surprised if the Afghan government is actually involved in that case."

However, he added: "I would expect the Afghan government as well as all Afghan institutions to live up to the requirements as stated in the Afghan constitution including full respect for human rights."

Afghanistan's constitution forbids conversion from Islam to another religion. The crime carries the death penalty, although it has not been enforced in recent history.

Insurgents in Afghanistan are fighting what they call a "holy war" against NATO-led forces.

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