[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 9



PAKISTAN:

Mashal lynching: Court orders transfer of appeals to Peshawar



The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday ordered transfer of appeals challenging 
the anti-terrorism court's verdict in Mashal Khan lynching case from its 
regional bench in Abbottabad to the principal seat in the provincial capital.

This order came on a petition filed by the provincial government seeking 
transfer of the appeals from Abbottabad to Peshawar for hearing at the high 
court's principal seat.

The provincial government and parties involved in the case had earlier filed 
appeals in PHC, challenging the verdict of the ATC in the case.

Mashal, 23, a student at Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU) in Mardan, was 
beaten and shot to death on April 13 last year by an unruly mob instigated by 
rumours that he had committed blasphemy by posting sacrilegious content online.

The high court circuit bench in Abbottabad earlier had suspended the conviction 
of 25 suspects in the case

On February 7, the ATC sentenced the prime suspect to death while 5 others to 
25 years' imprisonment in the case.

ATC Judge Fazal-i-Subhan Khan acquitted 26 suspects and awarded 3 years of jail 
term to 25 other accused in the case.

Convict Imran, who has been awarded capital punishment, was found guilty of 
firing shots at the victim student from his pistol, which led to his death.

He had also confessed to the crime before the court.

Nearly 50 prosecution witnesses testified against the suspects during the 
course of the hearing conducted inside Haripur Central Jail.

The prosecution charged 61 people in the case, while 57 of them were arrested 
and produced before the court for trial.

(source: arynews.tv)