Dear All,
For anyone who hasn’t been following the story, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh is an
Afghan journalism student who is facing execution after distributing material
to fellow students and teachers that discussed women’s rights. The death
penalty is abhorrent under any circumstances, but its use as a punishment for
trying to promote open debate within a University should concern us as
academics. Further, it looks as though Kambaksh did not receive a fair trial
and that his punishment might be an attempt to put pressure on his brother, a
journalist who has accused senior Afghan officials of atrocities.
The Independent is running a campaign to help Kambaksh with a petition and
stories on the webpage. We could also write directly to President Karzai as
individuals or as a group if there is anyone else that feels strongly about
this.
Thanks to anyone that has, or will, add their voice to the protest.
Sarah
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