Five Afghan gang rapists due to be hanged tomorrow

The armed gang members, wearing police uniforms, stopped a convoy of cars returning to Kabul at night from a wedding in Paghman, a scenic spot near the capital popular with day-trippers.

The attackers tied up men in the group before raping at least four of the women and stealing valuables from their victims.

They were found guilt at a nationally-televised trial that lasted only two hours, and the sentences were quickly confirmed by the appeals court and the Supreme Court.

“The court’s verdict on the execution of five men guilty in the Paghman robbery and rape case will be implemented tomorrow,” Atta Mohammad Noori, chief of staff at the attorney general’s office, told AFP on Wednesday.

“It is set to happen, unless there is a last-minute change in the decision.”

The crime in the early hours of August 23 has become a symbol of the violence that women face in Afghanistan, despite
reforms since the Taliban era.

But the court process raised major concerns, with the UN high commissioner for human rights and Amnesty International
calling for President Ashraf Ghani, who was sworn in last week, to stay the death penalties.

“The proceedings… risk denying adequate justice to both the victims of this terrible crime and the accused,” the UN
agency said in a statement.

Amnesty said the trials had been hurried, giving lawyers little time to prepare the defence. It was only nine days
between the arrests and the handing down of death sentences by the primary court.

“(The trials) have been marred by inconsistencies, un-investigated torture claims and political interference,” Amnesty said.