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Europe

Nine people convicted in honor killing of 19-year-old in Denmark

2006-06-28

Nine people were convicted on Tuesday of murder or accessory to murder in the killing of a 19-year-old woman gunned down by her older brother two days after her wedding because her Pakistani family disapproved of her choice of husband. The 12-member jury returned guilty verdicts against the nine, all family members and friends, for the murder of Ghazala Khan. Sentencing is expected later this week, likely on Friday.

Khan, who was born in Denmark, was shot and killed Sept. 23 in Slagelse, 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Copenhagen. Her husband was shot twice in the stomach but survived. In testimony during the trial, Khan's older brother, Akthar Abbas, admitted to shooting the couple as they tried to flee to a train station, but he claimed he acted in self-defense because his brother-in-law, Emal Khan, had allegedly kicked him.

Akthar Abbas was found guilty of murder. His father, Ghulum Abbas, was found guilty of incitement to murder and masterminding the killing. Prosecutors said he had his son and other members of the family to track down his daughter and her new husband and kill them. Ghulum Abbas denied the charges. Both face the maximum sentence of life imprisonment, which under Danish law is automatically commuted to 16 years. Seven other people, including three of Khan's uncles, an aunt and a family friend, were found guilty of being accessories to murder.

Posted by:Fred

#8 Via Gates of Vienna:

Prior to the sentencing, Rune had offered these observations on the situation in Denmark:

Perhaps the positive in the case is not so much that the actual sentencing likely will be much less what we could wish for (Id guess less than 4 for all but the brother and the father), but that, for the first time, the whole network behind the killing has been unravelled and convicted. Likely it will set a precedent throughout Europe, whereby not only those who do the actual killing can be convicted but also all the those who support the killing. Reportedly much of the immigrant community is in shock over the verdict. In a longer perspective it is expected the verdict will have a great preventive effect. But also that we in the future should be more aware that girls will be abducted to their homeland in the Middle East and murdered there.

What is nearly mind boggling is the massive support the killers have received from their community, even after the killing. Several of the jurors have received anonymous threats and have had some of their things vandalised. Immediately following the killing a group of unknown people visited several hospitals asking for the wounded husband of the murdered girl, supposedly to finish off the job. He had to witness in court heavily disguised and in a separate chamber a thing that has also been witnessed in other similar cases with violence against women from the immigrant communities. Womens shelters in particular have had many problems with family members of fled women who try to locate them and force them home. Most now have several policemen to protect them; they never order a taxi with an immigrant driver to transport women, always only have one women of each nationality at the shelter (since it was becoming common that a womans female relatives would enter the shelter and try to pressure the women to come back to the violent husband) etc.

There will always be maniacs. There have also been sad cases where children have been killed by their ethnic Danish fathers. But its the whole tacit or active support of the community that sickens me.

Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-06-28 16:32

#7 If a life sentence is, in practice only 8 or even 16 years, Denmark would be the place to go if you hate your spouse but don't want the messiness of a divorce.

Posted by: mhw 2006-06-28 10:17

#6 Good. Toss the lot into a deep hole.

Posted by: mojo 2006-06-28 10:16

#5 A life sentence is automatically commuted to 16 years! WTF! I guess with good behavior you could get out in 8?

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-28 09:11

#4 When will the Danes stop oppressing their minorities? This injustice must not stand!

Stop the Humiliation!

Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-06-28 07:22

#3 Akthar Abbas was found guilty of murder.

A relative?

Posted by: gromgoru 2006-06-28 07:00

#2 When will the Danes stop oppressing their minorities? This injustice must not stand!

Posted by: gromky 2006-06-28 04:33

#1 The accessories to the crime all get two years which under Danish law is automatically commuted to three weekends of community service.

Posted by: 11A5S 2006-06-28 00:54

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