More than 100,000 sign petition to save journalist held in Afghanistan

By Jerome Starkey

www.independent.co.uk

The Independent's petition to save the Afghan student Sayed Pervez Kambaksh from the gallows has collected a staggering 100,000 signatures as the 23-year-old languishes in a cell in Kabul awaiting appeal.

Mr Kambaksh was arrested for distributing a pamphlet about women's rights, and tried and convicted without a defence lawyer, in a closed court in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. His case led to international protests, led by the UN human rights chief, Louise Arbour, and Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State.

Last night, Mr Kambaksh's brother, Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, thanked The Independent's army of readers around the world. "If it wasn't for the petition we would be alone. There are a lot of pressures inside Afghanistan from the fundamentalists. They are trying to execute my brother," he said. "Fortunately, against them, there is pressure from the international community, and The Independent petition. I really believe it will help us."

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punditman says...Remember, this Afghan government (under Hamid Karzai) are supposedly the "good guys" who deserve Western support--not to mention our treasure and the blood of our youth. So why, then, is Mr Kambaksh languishing in prison? Is this the sort of human rights and "democracy" we are supporting? A government where the rule of law remains a joke? From the article: "A moratorium on capital punishment ended last year when President Karzai ordered a mass execution." No wonder Bush likes him.

Afghan evils ignored at our peril

by Antonia Zerbisias
The Toronto Star

It was only after weeks of international outrage that Canada's House of Commons, in response to a motion sponsored by NDP leader Jack Layton, unanimously voted on Monday to condemn a death sentence faced by an Afghan journalist.

About time, too, although the Harper government still hasn't had much to say about the case, at least not for the record.

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punditman says: Warning: the above link is very disturbing and perhaps not suitable for everyone. Welcome to our Afghan allies: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. I doubt very much that those who fall into the idiotic, flag-waving, ribbon-buying, crazily conformist Don Cherryesque category know anything about this story. After all, when it comes to Canada's Afghan mission, they may say they are all in favour of debate, but they actually want no debate at all. They are content to just watch hockey and salute, and keep drinking that Molson's/Coors Kool Aid.