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HÖGSBY KILLING RETRIAL

HÖGSBY

Parents guilty of Högsby ‘honour’ killing: court

The parents of the 23-year-old man previously convicted of the murder of 20-year–old Abbas Rezai, are guilty of the crime, according to Göta Court of Appeal, sentencing them both to ten years in prison.

Parents guilty of Högsby 'honour' killing: court

Rezai was found dead in an apartment in Högsby in southern Sweden in November 2005.

Police revealed at the time that he had been scalded with hot oil, hit with a variety of objects, and repeatedly stabbed in the back and chest, with the majority of the wounds sustained after his death.

He was also almost entirely scalped and one of his fingers had been partially chopped off.

The man was allegedly killed because of his relationship with the family’s 16-year-old daughter.

Her brother, 17 at the time, was convicted, whilst the girl’s parents, who were initially implicated, were acquitted, despite police claiming that it was almost impossible that the boy could have acted alone.

However, a few years after his conviction, the son changed his story, now pointing the finger of blame at his parents for the murder.

The parents denied all charges saying that their son was behind the deed and that he has only changed his story, as he is afraid he will be deported to Afghanistan after his sentence is through.

But the sister and another relative in Denmark, who also claimed that the son of the family had wrongly convicted as the sole perpetrator, supported the now 23-year-old son’s claim.

The Court of Appeal followed their line and convicted both he mother and the father of murder. They will be deported from Sweden.

The 23-year-old was convicted of accessory to murder and will serve one year and four months in a high security juvenile detention centre.

He will not be deported from Sweden.

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HÖGSBY

Supreme Court declines honour killing case

The Supreme Court of Sweden (Högsta Domstolen) will not re-open the Högsby honour killing case, the court announced on Monday.

Supreme Court declines honour killing case

The Göta Court of Appeal sentenced the parents of the previously convicted 23-year-old to ten years in prison, in the beginning of July.

After they have served their sentence they will be deported from Sweden for life.

The 23-year-old was convicted of accessory to murder and sentenced to one year and four months in a high security juvenile detention centre, which he has already served. He does not face deportation from Sweden.

The victim of Sweden’s most recent “honour” killing, the 20-year-old Abbas Rezai was found dead in an apartment in Högsby in southern Sweden in November 2005.

Police revealed at the time that he had been scalded with hot oil, hit with a variety of objects, and repeatedly stabbed in the back and chest, with the majority of the wounds sustained after his death.

He was also almost entirely scalped and one of his fingers had been partially chopped off.

Rezai was allegedly killed because of his relationship with the family’s 16-year-old daughter.

Her brother, who was 17 at the time, was convicted of the murder, whilst the parents, who were initially implicated, were acquitted, despite police claiming that it was almost impossible that the boy could have acted alone.

However, a few years after his conviction, the son changed his story, now pointing the finger of blame at his parents for the murder.

He said that he had been coerced into taking the blame for the crime by his parents.

The parents however continued to deny all the allegations saying that their son was behind the deed and that he only changed his story when afraid he would be deported to Afghanistan after his sentence was through.

However, the Court of Appeal believed the son and convicted his parents of the murder. After the decision by the Supreme Court not to re-open the case, that verdict will stand.

The Swedish Supreme Court will generally only reopen a case that may be important to rule on an issue of legal praxis.

In rare cases, an investigation may be reopened if there are special circumstances that deem it particularly necessary.

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