Italian court upholds life sentence for parents of Pakistani woman killed by her family

ROME (AP) — An Italian appeals tribunal Friday upheld beingness sentences for a Pakistani mates convicted of murdering their 18-year-old girl successful a alleged grant sidesplitting aft she refused an arranged marriage. The lawsuit shocked galore Ital ians and became a awesome of the brutal mistreatment of migrant women who rebel against inflexible household rules.

The appeals tribunal successful the bluish metropolis of Bologna said that Saman Abbas, whose assemblage was recovered astatine a farmhouse successful 2022, 18 months aft she disappeared, was killed with the information of the full family.

The tribunal upheld a beingness condemnation for some the teenager’s father, Shabbir Abbas, and her mother, Nazia Shaheen. It besides sentenced to beingness successful situation 2 cousins who had been antecedently cleared by a little court.

Saman’s uncle, Danish Hasnain, was besides sentenced to 22 years successful situation for his engagement successful the murder. He had been antecedently fixed a 14-year sentence.

The tribunal case, successful Reggio Emilia successful bluish Italy, became t helium astir high-profile of respective transgression investigations successful Italy successful caller years dealing with the slaying oregon mistreatment of migrant women oregon girls who rebelled against their household 's insistence that they wed idiosyncratic chosen for them.

So-called grant killings are communal successful Pakistan, wherever household members and relatives sometimes termination women who don’t travel section traditions and civilization oregon determine to wed idiosyncratic of their ain choice.

Saman Abbas’ assemblage was dug up successful November 2022 successful an abandoned farmhouse adjacent the fields wherever her begetter worked successful bluish Italy. Italian prosecutors contend the pistillate was murdered by her household connected May 1, 2021. A fewer days later, her parents flew from Milan to Pakistan.

Saman Abbas’ begetter was aboriginal arrested successful Pakistan and extradited to Italy for prosecution. Her parent was convicted successful absentia but was arrested successful May past twelvemonth aft 3 years connected the run.

Abbas’ uncle, 2 cousins, her begetter and her parent went connected proceedings archetypal successful February 2023. All the defendants person denied wrongdoing.

Saman Abbas had emigrated arsenic a teen from Pakistan to the workplace municipality of Novellara successful Italy’s bluish portion of Emilia-Romagna. She rapidly embraced Western ways, including shedding her headscarf and dating a young antheral of her choice. In 1 societal media post, she and her Pakistani fellow were shown kissing connected a thoroughfare successful the determination capital, Bologna.

According to Italian investigators, that buss enraged Abbas’ parents, who wanted her to wed a relative successful Pakistan.

The young pistillate was past seen live connected April 30, 2021 a fewer 100 meters (yards) distant from wherever her assemblage was discovered successful surveillance camera video arsenic she walked with her parents connected the watermelon workplace wherever her begetter worked.

Abbas had reportedly told her fellow that she feared for her beingness due to the fact that of her refusal to wed an older antheral successful her homeland.

An autopsy revealed a breached cervix bone, perchance caused by strangulation.

In 2019, Italy made coercing an Italian national oregon nonmigratory into marriage, adjacent abroad, a transgression covered nether home unit laws.

Following Abbas’ disappearance, Italy’s national of Islamic communities issued a spiritual ruling rejecting forced marriages.