Under pressure from the international community, President Karzai has secretly pardoned Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student imprisoned and sentenced to death in Afghanistan for trying to promote women's rights. The 24-year-old journalist-in-training has been flown to an undisclosed foreign location. The Independent reports: "Prior to his departure, he spoke of how his relief was mixed with deep regret at knowing he was unlikely to see his family or country again."
Earlier this year Kambaksh was doing some research when, according to reports:
He was accused of blasphemy after he downloaded a report from a Farsi website which stated that Muslim fundamentalists who claimed the Koran justified the oppression of women had misrepresented the views of the prophet Mohamed.Mr Kambaksh, 23, distributed the tract to fellow students and teachers at Balkh University with the aim, he said, of provoking a debate on the matter. But a complaint was made against him and he was arrested, tried by religious judges without - say his friends and family - being allowed legal representation and sentenced to death.
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that is great news!
This is wonderful news and it's absolutely made my day to read it. Thanks!
Great news about his release, and just so sad that after years of US presence in Afghanistan free speech and political opposition still have these kind of consequences there...no Al Quaeda dismantling, Taliban everywhere, and a student sentenced to death penalty for reading a report with a group of friends.peachy.