Blasphemy editor's hearing put off

The Afghan Supreme Court on December 18 postponed hearing of an appeal filed by Ali Muhaqiq Nasab, editor of the Huquq-e-Zan magazine, challenging his conviction on blasphemy charges. Supreme Court spokesman Abdul Wakil Omari said that although the defence counsel was unprepared, the main reason for the postponement was the absence of the prosecution. A lower court had handed down a two-year sentence to Muhaqiq Nasab after finding him guilty of publishing blasphemous articles in his magazine. Earlier, prosecutor Bahlol had argued that two years’ imprisonment was insufficient as a punishment, and asked the courts to pass sentence the editor to death.