AFGHAN JOURNALISM STUDENT SENTENCED TO LIFE AFTER QUESTIONING LACK OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN ISLAM

The BBC reports that an Afghan court reduced a death sentence to life imprisonment for a journalism student who questioned the lack of women's rights in Islam.

Alastair Leithead writes for the BBC from Kabul:

"Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, 24, was sent to prison in October 2007 after reportedly downloading material from the internet on women's rights in Islam.

"A court is his home city of Mazar-e-Sharif condemned him to death. An appeals court in Kabul reduced the sentence, but Mr Kambaksh's family say they will fight for his full release."

Where is President Karzai in this ridiculously unjust case? And where is the intellectual elite of Kabul? Why has no one stood up to defend the accused and call his sentence a travesty of justice?

Reports Leithead:

"Mr Ibrahimi [the accused's brother] criticised Afghan President Hamid Karzai for not using his power to intervene and to pardon his brother.

"He said despite professing that Afghanistan was now a democratic country, Mr Karzai had not taken steps to protect freedom of speech.

"Mr Kambaksh's case has highlighted the tension between the voices of conservative Islam in Afghanistan and the liberal international backers of President Karzai."

Leithead quotes Kambaksh on his trial:

"In an interview from prison last month, Mr Kambaksh told the BBC that he had not been allowed to defend himself at his original trial, which lasted less than five minutes. "