4 sentenced to hang for lynching

Four Afghan men were sentenced to death on Wednesday for the lynching of a woman falsely accused of blasphemy, a landmark judgment in a nation where female victims often have little legal recourse.

The Kabul Primary Court also sentenced eight people to 16 years in prison, while 18 others were found not guilty after a three-day trial broadcast live on national television.

A furious mob turned on the woman, 27-year-old Farkhunda, on March 19, beating her in daylight and setting her body ablaze on the banks of the Kabul River.