By late September, a Taliban appeals court will review the case of an Afghan teacher sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, according to local sources in Paktika province.
Abdul Aleem Khamosh, a teacher from Jani Khel district, was handed the death penalty in July by a Taliban primary court for allegedly insulting the Prophet of Islam and other revered figures. Rights groups and his relatives said the trial proceeded without a defense lawyer.
Family members now report that Taliban officials have informed Khamosh’s lawyer he will be permitted to attend the upcoming appeal hearing. They added that although visits were initially banned, relatives have recently been allowed limited access to see him in prison.
Khamosh was arrested earlier this year after allegedly telling students that modern sciences outweighed religious studies. His family strongly rejected the blasphemy claims, calling the case fabricated and demanding his release.
The arrest was carried out by officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, who transferred him to prison following the classroom remarks.
