KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday pardoned an Afghan woman serving a 12-year prison sentence for having “sex” out of wedlock — when, in fact, she had been raped by a relative.
Karzai’s office also said the woman and her attacker agreed to marry. That reverses the woman’s previous stance, when she rejected a judge’s offer to free her if the pair wed.
In yesterday’s statement, Karzai said he decided to commute the rest of the woman’s sentence after hearing from judicial officials on the case.
It’s not clear how much time the woman has already served.
Her plight was highlighted in a documentary blocked by the European Union because it feared the women profiled would be endangered by its release.
More than 5,000 people signed a petition urging Karzai to release her.