Afghan Senate revokes death sentence

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Afghan Senate has withdrawn its demand for the death sentence for Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, following protests from the public and media, a report said.

Kambaksh, a 23-year-old journalism student, was sentenced to death after downloading information about Afghan women's rights, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

Because the original ruling was proposed by a strong ally of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a religious court, there appeared to be little chance of saving Kambaksh's life, the report said. The death sentence revocation is said to increase hope for his eventual freedom.

"The upper house respects the rights of the accused, such as the right to have a defense lawyer, the right of appeal and other legal rights," the Senate said in a statement. "But approval of the death sentence, in the statement published recently from the address of the upper house, was a technical mistake."

Fundamentalist Muslim clergyman argue that Kambaksh should not have the usual appeal rights because he was found guilty of a blasphemous religious crime, The Independent reported Saturday.