لاهم د فرخندې اړوند عدالت نه دى تامين شوى

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan Women Network (AWN) on Thursday said justice has not been served in the savaged murder of Farkhanda and the move has weakened people’s trust in the judiciary.

An angry mob attacked 27-year-old Farkhanda on March 18 last year and severely beat her before setting her body on fire after she was accused of buing a copy of the holy Quran, a charge that was later found to be false.

The AWN at a gathering in Kabul criticised the govement and said justice had not been served in Farkhanda case despite the passage of one year.

The gathering titled “Persecution of Farkhanda; a Torture in Women’s History” was organised by the AWN at Shar-i-Naw Park.

The participants said the judiciary had failed in addressing the case and handed down “a symbolic verdict” after delays in the three-tire courts and clear violations of law.

Fatima Gilani, a member of the network, told Pajhwok Afghan News that defending women now-a-days depended on projects. She said today’s gathering also showed a symbolic and project-run movement.

“We should be always united and coordinated in defending the rights of our sisters like Farkhnada who always face violence,” she said.

She said the Supreme Court ruling last week that upheld reduced sentences for the men convicted of her murder was unacceptable.

The court vacated the death penalty in four cases, reduced prison terms to 20 years in three others and 10 years in the fourth. It also cut the sentences of nine other defendants. Gilani called for the killers of Farkhanda to be hanged in public.

President Ashraf Ghani last Friday released a decree, calling on the acting Supreme Court chief justice to carefully follow up Fakhanda case and of those involved in her lynching.

The president ordered his govement to reopen the case days after the highest court reduced the sentences of the 13 men convicted of her murder.

In its statement, Human Rights Watch called it a "bitter irony" that the Supreme Court in Kabul had confirmed the reduced sentences on March 8, the Inteational Women's Day.

The AWN gathering also read out a resolution letter, saying despite the presence of several lawyers and support for Farkhanda family, the Supreme Court did not deliver justice in her case.

The resolution said women would continue raising their voice until justice was delivered in the high-profile case.

mds/ma