KABUL — 2015 · Murder
The Mob Killing of Farkhunda Malikzada
Farkhunda Malikzada, 27, was killed by a mob near the Shah-Do Shamshira shrine in Kabul on 19 March 2015 after being falsely accused of burning a Quran. The accusation, made after she argued with an amulet seller at the shrine, was quickly shown to be untrue. The attack was filmed on mobile phones and sparked large protests across the country; women carried her coffin. At the first trial in May 2015, four men were sentenced to death and eight to 16 years; police officers who failed to intervene were also punished. An appeals court commuted the death sentences to prison terms, and the Supreme Court upheld the rulings in 2016.
- Date
- 2015
- Place
- Kabul River bank, Afghanistan, Kabul, AF
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 34.5130, 69.1800 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 19 March 2015Farkhunda Malikzada was killed by a mob near the Shah-Do Shamshira shrine.
- 22 March 2015Women carried her coffin; protests spread.
- May 2015Four defendants were sentenced to death and eight to 16 years.
- July 2015An appeals court commuted the death sentences to prison terms.
- March 2016Afghanistan's Supreme Court upheld the sentences.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Murder of Farkhunda Malikzada en.wikipedia.org ↗
- RFE/RL — Afghan Supreme Court confirms sentences gandhara.rferl.org ↗
- Al Jazeera — Afghan court overturns death sentences aljazeera.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- RFE/RL Gandhara
- Al Jazeera
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.