Anooshe Sediq Ghulam

Anooshe Sediq Ghulam, a 22 year old Afghan refugee in Norway who was killed by her husband, Afghani Nasruddin Shamsi, in an "honor killing".

Anooshe had been abused by her husband and, with the help of the Norwegian social services, had divorced him and left him while taking the couple's two children, two boys ages 6 and 7. She was afraid for her life and contacted Human Rights Service for help.

The murder took place outside the police station in Kristiansund in May 2002, when the two were on their way to court for the custody case.

Anooshe spoke fluent English and quickly picked up Norwegian. Her husband, who had been an army general and came from a prominent clan in Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, barely spoke either language.

The trial lasted 20 days and Nasruddin was sentenced to 18 years in jail. The two children were placed at a foster home and given police protection, due to concerns that they might be abducted by Nasruddin's family. Nasruddin's family did not come to the trial, though he has a brother living in Norway.

The Norwegian authorities arranged visas for Anooshe's family in Afghanistan to come to the funeral, but they never picked them up. Apparently they were threatened and feared reprisals by Nasruddin's family.

During the trial Nasruddin testified that he had been a refugee in Iran and Russia, but only in Norway did the social services meddle with his private life. Had he known that in advance, he would not have brought his family to Norway.