In a landmark verdict, an Italian court has convicted the parents and uncle of an 18-year-old Pakistani woman, Saman Abbas, for her murder after she refused to marry a cousin in their homeland. The body of Saman Abbas was discovered in November 2022, a year and a half after she was last seen alive on surveillance video with her parents. Italian prosecutors alleged that she was killed on May 1, 2021.

On Tuesday, Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen, the parents, were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Danish Hasnain, the uncle, received a 14-year prison term, according to the court in Reggio Emilia. Two cousins were found not guilty and ordered to be released from jail. Shabbar Abbas, extradited from Pakistan in August, maintained his innocence in a tearful statement to the court, while Nazia Shaheen was tried in absentia and is believed to be in Pakistan.

The trial gained significant attention as it served as a high-profile case among several criminal investigations in Italy dealing with the mistreatment and murder of immigrant women or girls who resisted their families' attempts to arrange their marriages. The killing has shed light on the issue of forced marriages and the struggles faced by individuals who choose to defy them.

According to the autopsy report, Saman Abbas had a broken neck bone, suggesting possible strangulation as the cause of her death. The young woman had migrated from Pakistan as a teenager and settled in the Italian town of Novellara in the Emilia-Romagna region. During her time in Italy, she had chosen to stop wearing a headscarf and was in a relationship with a local young man. Their public display of affection, including a social media post showing them kissing in Bologna, infuriated Abbas' parents, who insisted on her marrying a cousin in Pakistan.

Prior to her death, Saman Abbas had confided in her boyfriend that she feared for her life due to her refusal to marry an older man in her homeland. Her tragic fate highlights the challenges faced by individuals who strive to assert their freedom of choice against the pressure of traditional values and familial expectations.

The court's verdict sends a strong message against such heinous crimes and stands as a reaffirmation of the commitment to justice for victims who suffer as a consequence of defiance. The case serves as a reminder that progress in gender equality and autonomy must continue to be pursued worldwide to safeguard the lives and well-being of those facing similar threats and injustices.