Afghan Gang Rape Sparks Rare National Outcry

"Five Afghan men have been sentenced to death following a gang rape case that has sparked national outrage."

Five Afghan men have been sentenced to death following a gang rape case that has sparked national outrage. The men were found guilty of attacking four women who were returning to Kabul in August. Two other men have been given 20-year jail Terms in an appeals court this week.

Inside the court, prosecutors describe how the seven men abducted the family while they were coming home from a popular holiday spot near Kabul.

They then raped the four women in the car, beat up the men and children, and stole their valuables.

The seven men then confessed to the crime to the court. One had his arm in a cast, and most of them appeared to have facial bruises.

Aziz told the court that he robbed but didn’t rape the women.

“My friend Maywan who has escaped invited me to his house and while we were walking asked me to join him in the robbery. I told him I didn’t want to do it as I am recently out of jail but he told me let’s do it.”

The rape victims were allowed to confront the accused attackers on camera and in person.

The trial lasted just two hour and was broadcast on television.

The gang rape has transfixed the nation.

Outside the court house thousands of people have gathered. Medal winning taekwondo athlete Nisar Ahmad Bahawee is amongst them.

“We have one demand and that is those men who raped the women and disgraced Afghanistan are executed.”

Before the court had even handed out it’s verdict Afghan president Hamid Karzai said he supported the death penalty in this case.

“I have been informed that some robbers disrespected some of our sisters, for me personally this case is very serious, you know that I am normally against execution, but for these men I call for the death penalty and it should be carried out as soon as possible.”

Some people in the crowd outside the court are calling of the men to be publicly hung. The last time a hanging took place in public here was during Taliban rule, in the National Stadium.

Some foreign rights activists however have expressed concern at how quickly the trial was conducted. Patricia Gossman, a senior Afghan researcher at Human Rights Watch, tweeted "Heinous crime should not mean suspending due process rights. Where is rule of law?"

But most Afghan civil rights advocates here supported the calls for swift executions.

Fatima Kohistani is with the Afghan women rights service group.

“The fact that this rape happened in a holiday spot out in the open has made it shocking.  The rape also happened in front of their men.  The men were there.  Also people have reacted because they are tired of the corrupt and slow justice system when it comes to rape cases we are so annoyed with the situation that’s why the outcry has happened with this case.”

Crimes against women are common but mostly take place inside homes in Afghanistan's conservative society.

But a gang-rape by armed men is rare in Kabul and has tapped into a vein of anxiety as foreign troops leave the country.

• Afghan
• rape
• women rights
• conservative
• Ghayor Waziri