Archive for February 4th, 2008
Afghan Student Sentenced To Death For Blasphemy
In a recent story that shocked the world, a young reporter was sentenced to death in Afghanistan for distributing a report from the internet which was supposedly anti-Islam.
In a Nut Shell
Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, a 23 third-year journalism student at Balkh University and who also reports for Jahan-i-Naw (New World) newspaper, was arrested on October 27, 2007 in Mazar-i-Sharif, on charges of distributing anti-Islamic propaganda.
The hearing of the case was delayed several times before Kambakhsh was sentenced to death on 22 January 2008 by a lower court in a closed session.
On Tuesday, 29th January 2008, the sentence was upheld by the country’s rulers where the Afghan Senate passed a motion confirming the death sentence.
Kambakhsh’s option now is to appeal to the regional court and if that fails, he can appeal to the Supreme Court. If he failed on both appeals, then only the President Hamid Karzai can overturn the decision by extending to him a pardon.
His family confirmed that they will proceed with the appeal proceedings.
