Posted on 05/12/2004 12:28:58 PM PDT by ambrose
'Honour killer' freed
12/05/2004 13:37 - (SA)
Amman - A Jordanian man who killed his sister in a "fit of fury" when he learnt that she became pregnant out of wedlock was released from prison after being held for six months in jail, the Jordan Times reported on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old man identified as Ahmad S strangled his sister in October 2003 to "cleanse the family honour" when he learned that she was pregnant, the newspaper said, quoting court documents.
He handed himself to police and was held until he came up for trial this week, when the criminal court on Tuesday decided to drop charges of premeditated murder laid by the state prosecutor.
The court found him guilty instead of committing a "misdemeanour" in line with Article 98 of the penal code because he claimed he "killed his sister in a fit of rage", the newspaper said.
The father, of both the accused and the victim, also dropped charges against his son, enabling him to walk free.
His sister had been two to three months pregnant at the time of her murder.
Five women were killed in so-called "honour crimes" in Jordan this year, according to a Jordan Times tally. Seventeen women were killed in similar crimes last year.
Efforts by the government to secure harsher sentences for such offences by banning special pleading have been generally unsuccessful.
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