US wants Afghanistan to lift death sentence against journalist
The United States wants Afghanistan to lift a death sentence imposed on an Afghan journalist by trial judges who said an article attributed to the newsman humiliated Islam.
By Agencies |
WASHINGTON: The United States wants Afghanistan to lift a death sentence imposed on an Afghan journalist by trial judges who said an article attributed to the newsman humiliated Islam.
The US ambassador in Kabul, William Wood, plans to discuss the case of Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh, 23, sentenced Tuesday in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
"We're concerned about the sentence that was handed down to a reporter for basically practising his profession," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said yesterday, "and we wouldn't want to see any actions taken that would limit his or anyone else's freedom of the press or freedom of expression."
He noted that the case was being appealed, "and certainly we're going to be looking at that very carefully." He added: "Hopefully there will be a different outcome to this than the one that's presently there."
Wood planned to take up the case with officials in Kabul, Casey said.
The journalist was convicted for distributing a report he printed off the Internet to fellow journalism students at Balkh University. Radio Free Afghanistan, a service of RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, said the article commented on verses in the Islamic holy book the Quran that spoke about women.
The US ambassador in Kabul, William Wood, plans to discuss the case of Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh, 23, sentenced Tuesday in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
"We're concerned about the sentence that was handed down to a reporter for basically practising his profession," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said yesterday, "and we wouldn't want to see any actions taken that would limit his or anyone else's freedom of the press or freedom of expression."
He noted that the case was being appealed, "and certainly we're going to be looking at that very carefully." He added: "Hopefully there will be a different outcome to this than the one that's presently there."
Wood planned to take up the case with officials in Kabul, Casey said.
The journalist was convicted for distributing a report he printed off the Internet to fellow journalism students at Balkh University. Radio Free Afghanistan, a service of RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, said the article commented on verses in the Islamic holy book the Quran that spoke about women.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
