Wikipedia
Gulnaz is an Afghan woman and rape victim. She was raped by her cousin's husband in 2009 and became pregnant. She was then charged with adultery, a crime in Afghanistan due to Sharia law. She was initially sentenced to two years in jail, which was later raised to twelve, and she gave birth to a daughter in jail.
The American lawyer Kimberley Motley submitted a pardon application to President Hamid Karzai. More than five thousand people signed the petition for Gulnaz's release. On December 2, 2011 President Karzai signed her pardon.
Gulnaz complained to authorities that her cousin's husband had raped her only after she begun vomiting - a sign of pregnancy - in order to avoid social stigma and family conflicts. The Afghan authorities sentenced her to 12 years in jail. This decision resulted in world-wide criticism for Afghanistan's abysmal human rights record.
The entire world outside Afghanistan came to know her plight when the European Union blocked the broadcast of a documentary about her ordeal. This attracted international attention, shock, and criticism from human rights activists. Her case caused alarm. It highlighted the plight of many Afghan women serving similar sentences in prison - even after the overthrow of Taliban government. Reports then came out that she had agreed to marry her attacker to gain freedom and legitimize her daughter. The reports were confirmed false when President Karzai gave Gulnaz an unconditional pardon and she was not required to marry her attacker.
Gulnaz may refer to:
- Gulnaz (Afghani)
- Gulnaz Badykova