hundreds of Afghan journalists and writers...

hundreds of Afghan journalists and writers took part in demonstrations in 15 provinces to call for the release of Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, a young journalist sentenced to death. This show of solidarity came as Kambakhsh’s appeal against his conviction ground to a halt in Kabul and no date has been set for the next hearing. "The appeal court should have quashed Kambakhsh’s death sentence when a forensic doctor confirmed he was tortured by the security forces," Reporters Without Borders said. "But it was not done, and the authorities refuse to release him. A show of support from Afghans is now the key to preventing fundamentalists and certain government sectors from pressing ahead with their persecution of this journalist." The demonstrations in support of Kambakhsh took place in 15 provinces. Intellectuals and journalists signed petitions entitled: "We want justice and the immediate resolution of Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh’s case." The petitions were addressed to the provincial governors with the request that they be passed on to the supreme court. Kambakhsh’s brother, fellow-journalist Yaqub Ibrahimi, said the biggest protests took place in the provinces of Bamyan, Herat, Balkh, Jalalabad and Kunduz.