Imprisoned and sentenced to death for reading and downloading women's rights documents, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh life hangs on international pressure brought to bear on this hell hole of a country where life and liberty are held cheaply.
The Independent has made a cause of the 23-year-old Sayed's wrongful jailing and death sentance, gathering over 61,000 signatures on a petition, causing the British government to register official protests, and pushing Condi Rice into promising to talk to the Afghan strongman, Hamid Karzai.
From the Independent:
Ms Rice, who was in London for talks with Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, on the West's Afghanistan strategy said: "I do think that the Afghans understand that there are some international norms that need to be respected. Of course, one has national laws and they're national laws that are in accordance with traditions and religious practice. But there are international norms, and I'll certainly talk to President Karzai about this case." ...
He shares a cell meant for four people with 30 others at the prison in Balkh province where he has been held for more than three months. In that time he has been attacked by Taliban prisoners who have been told by officials that Mr Kambaksh is guilty of blasphemy. His food has been contaminated by guards, he has lost weight, and is traumatised. ...
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