Sunday March 13, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The Human Rights Watchdog criticized the judiciary system in Afghanistan as failed to carry out detailed probe into Farkhunda’s case, and reduced the sentence of the perpetrators.
Suraya Sobhrang, Director of Women’s Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan said: “We aren’t agreeing with this decision, we want the assessment of this case also the Supreme Court should use from their authority to re-examined the case.” Leya Ghazanfar, an Afghan civil society activist expressed dissatisfaction over Farkhunda’s murder case and added that the decision was not fair and it should be taken place in the presence of lawyers who were appointed by the civil society. Meanwhile, Rula Ghani, the first lady, has assured that the Supreme Court will focus in its recent decision. Mujibullah, brother of Farkhunda told the media that punishing the perpetrators can’t cure the pain of his family, but will have a positive impact on human society. A number of women said, that though we have repeated times and again that the Farkhunda killers should be sentenced to greater punishments. But we see that the Afghanistan judicial system rather than to sentence the perpetrators in its severest way, but they were sentenced to some years.
Sharifa one of Afghan women stated that one year has been passed since the murder of Farkhunda, but still the Afghanistan court not reached to a final decision. “I do not know where the problem is.” She added that today women in Afghanistan under different pretext are being insulted, humiliated and even killed, burned, stoned, and parts of their bodies are chopping off. And this is the wrong policy of the states and the culture of impunity on punishment and corruption. In March a mob in the Afghan capital set upon Farkhunda who had been falsely accused of burning the Holdy Quran, beating her to death in a furious attack. Farkhunda was 27, working as a volunteer teacher while she studied Islamic law. This brutally killing of Farkhunda put all people in shock and grief and led to demands for reform in the judiciary system of Afghanistan that since long time has been corrupted and incompetence. Initially, 4 men charged for the capital punishment, 9 other for long time sentence but last week the Supreme Court confirmed the appeal court demand for the reducing of perpetrators term. 17 suspects have been jailed, which include 20 years term for 3 of the perpetrators, 16 years for 13 perpetrators and 10 years for the remaining one. It was two days before Afghan New Year. Farkhunda cheerfully promised her mother, Bibi Hajera, that she would help prepare for the festivities when she returned from her Holey Quran reciting class.
Shukria Kohistani
