International appeal for a professional attorney to defend Afghan journalist Parwiz Kambakhsh

Parwiz Kambakhsh is the young Afghan journalist facing a death sentence in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. He urgently requires a professional attorney to appeal his conviction by a local court on charges of blasphemy. Unfortunately in Afghanistan attorneys fear handling cases related to Islamic law and the Koran. Extremists threaten physical violence against Afghan attorneys and their families, if they take such cases.

www.kabulpress.org is receiving hundreds of positive messages from private individuals, journalists, writers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, businesses, elected officials, and military personnel from around the world, responding to the international appeal for the immediate release of Parwiz Kambakhsh. His story has been picked up by many international news organizations including IWPR, CNN, Fox News, the New York Times, and the Associated Press.

We therefore send this new joint appeal to Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, to international attorneys, and to international legal assistance organizations, to help Parwiz Kambakhsh defend his right to freedom of speech against the illegal charges and inhumane sentence he faces.

All offers for assistance will be graciously welcomed.

Please send e-mail to the following address:

editor AT kabulpress DOT org

fsafound AT gmail DOT com

International appeal to support the immediate release of a young Afghan Journalist