Norway: honour killing from Pakistan, three people sentenced

(AGI) - Oslo, 17 dec. - Honour killing explodes in Norway. Today the norwegian Court has convicted thress people for planning and ordering a triple murder of Tanveer Abbas (23), his father and brother, all found dead in Gujrat, Pakistan. Mr Abbas' own brother is accused of executing the killings. He is still on the run from Pakistani authorities. Norwegian police quickly suspected the murders for being honour killings, a claim that was repeated in Thursday's sentence. The couple was arrested in Oslo the day after the three bodies were found in Pakistan. Today, they were sentenced to 21 years in prison, the longest sentence permitted by Norwegian law. Their relative, who is the convicted man's brother, was handed 17 years in prison for helping to plan the triple murder. He had confessed in advance, and was rewarded with a shorter sentence. All three appealed the verdict immediately. The couple still claim their innocence, and their relative hoped for a kinder sentence due to his cooperation with the police and is appealing for shorter jail time. Abbas was according to Norwegian police murdered because he had secretly married the Norwegian-Pakistan couple's daughter without their permission. The marriage took place in 2011, and was kept secret until Abbas death two years later. Abbas was also the girl's cousin. Both Norwegian and Pakistani police believe his brother murdered Mr Abbas, but that the killings were ordered and planned by the widow's family. The suspected assassin also killed a third brother and his own father at request of the three people who were found guilty in a court of law in Oslo today. The widow's family did not want their daughter married to the diseased. She is a Norwegian citizen and when her parents heard about the marriage, they felt their family honour so tarnished only murdering Mr Abbas and his family could set the matter straight, according to the verdict. In court, the couple claimed that their daughter had been tricked into marrying Mr Abbas and said they still have not forgiven her for going behind their backs. However, Mr Abbas father-in-law and mother-in-law both denied having any part in his murder, or the other killings. The widow told Norwegian press she hoped her parents and uncle would get long sentences, and denied that she had been fooled into marriage with Abbas. (AGI) .