Posted
October 22nd, 2008
by
English PEN is outraged by the twenty-year sentence handed down to journalist Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh by a Kabul appeal court on 21 October 2008, which commuted the death sentence but upheld his conviction for “blasphemy”. Kambakhsh’s lawyer has filed an appeal against his conviction which is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court on Sunday 26 October 2008.
We are calling on President Hamid Karzai to intervene personally in this case, to secure the immediate and unconditional release of journalist Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
To read an article on the appeal court hearing, please click here.
For background information, please see previous English PEN bulletins:
‘Journalist sentenced to death for blasphemy’
‘Death sentence journalist remains detained’
‘More international pressure needed’
Please sign the petition:
Several months ago, The Independent launched a petition to put pressure on the Afghan government to prevent the execution of Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh, and collected over 100, 000 signatures. International pressure evidently contributed to the quashing of the death sentence, but further pressure will be required to prevent this young man spending the next twenty years in jail. As such, we have now started an online petition for members and friends of English PEN wishing to protest against Kambakhsh’s twenty-year prison sentence.
Please do take a couple of minutes to sign the petition by clicking here.
Please send appeals:
- Expressing shock at the twenty-year sentence handed down to journalist Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh on blasphemy charges;
- Calling for President Karzai to intervene to secure his immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Afghan law and Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Please send appeals to arrive before 26 October 2008 to:
His Excellency Hamid Karzai
President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan
Kabul
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Mr Hameed Nasry Wardak
Spokesperson
Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs
Afghanistan
Tel: 93 700 989 696
E-mail: hameednasry@yahoo.com
Mr Humayun Hamidzada
Spokesperson for President Karzai
Afghanistan
Tel: 93 797 163 355
E-mail: bafir.ayoubi@gmail.com
If possible please send appeals c/o the Ambassador for Afghanistan in your country, asking for their comments:
His Excellency Dr Rahim Sherzoy
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
31 Prince’s Gate
London SW7 1QQ
Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/afghanistanurgentinternationalpressureneeded/
