Four sentenced to death in Afghanistan

A court in Afghanistan sentenced four people to death on Wednesday after finding them guilty of killing a woman in a mob attack. Eight others were sent to prison for 16 years, a media report said.

The Kabul primary court awarded the capital punishment on the fourth day of the hearing of the case, Pajhwok news agency reported, adding that the accused can appeal against the ruling in a higher court.

Farkhunda, 27, was killed in a mob attack in Kabul in March this year and her body was burnt near the banks of Kabul river. She was accused of burning a copy of the holy Quran.

Thousands of people across the country had been demanding justice for the victim. A commission had been set up to investigate the case.

The commission later found that no copy of the holy book was burned.

Farkhunda's parents were present during the court's ruling.

"I want these criminals to be punished. Let it be a lesson for the people to avoid committing such acts in future," the victim's father was quoted as saying.