If you break the law abroad should you have to take the consequences?

Question

British/Pakistani Muslim guy is visiting relatives in Pakistan, when he is convicted of killing a taxi driver and sentenced to death under Sharia Law.

He is now going to be flown hom to Britain after the British government stepped in to repreive him.

If you break the law abroad though shouldn't you have to take the consequences? I mean, this guy is a Muslim himself, surely he knew the penalty in a Muslim country for murder?

Answer 1

You make it sound like he just got his sentence - for those out there who are not familiar with the case, he was sentenced to death in 1988 - when he was 18, and was due to be hanged under Islamic law for murdering taxi driver Jamshed Khan.
The death sentence was changed to life imprisonment on the order of Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf and he has been freed. Khan was just 18 when he left West Yorkshire in December 1988 to visit relatives in Pakistan. He was taking a break from serving as a soldier in the Territorial Army. He had always protested his innocence, insisting he acted in self defence...Khan alleged that the driver tried to sexually assault him - he pulled out a gun and the weapon went off while they struggled, before driving the taxi to police himself and admitting the incident.
In 1996 Hussain was acquitted at the Lahore High Court. A week later it was declared that some of the alleged offences came within the jurisdiction of Islamic law and his case was referred to the Federal Sharia Court, which reversed the decision of the High Court and served Hussain with the death penalty.

I wonder though, Ladymoonlight...on account of your record with prose of past questions and answers - would you just be as disgusted if he was caucasian and hailed from Caerdydd - well...you'd be disgusted for sure - but for the same reason?

Answer 2

Yes, Brits abroad should face the same sanctions as a native of that country - but only so long as they are given a fair trial.

As I understand it, the man in this case was acquitted by the "real" civil court, and only convicted by a religious court in which his rights were not adequately safeguarded. I see no reason why he should be in prison at all.

But when people plan to go to these countries they should be warned of the possibility of a trial which we would not call fair in this country - then perhaps they should think again. For instance, would you or I visit Saudi Arabia, where the courts admit confessions obtained under torture?

Answer 3

As an ex british serviceman,when you are posted to a country,you are not only subject to military law, but also the laws of the country you are in,in this case, regretablly, their was intervention from the highest source,how many interventions have there been regarding white,english people serving sentences abroad?

Answer 4

Prince Charles should have kept out of the politics and law of another country and not have pleaded for clemency for this guy, even if it was on behalf of our government. This guy should be made to serve his sentence in Pakistan as that was where he committed his crime, and not be given the soft option that he serve his time in Britain. As he has served time in Pakistan already whats the betting he will soon be released as soon as he is in the U.K.? There is also the family of the person who he killed to be considered and their feelings should have been taken into consideration.

Answer 5

As a guest in another country you are obligated to abide by the laws of that country. If you do not abide by those laws you should suffer the consequences. It may make everybody feel all warm and fuzzy to get somebody out of that spot, it is unthinkable that you would have so little regard for the laws of a host country.

Answer 6

The reason the Bristish government intervened in this case was because the civil court had already aquitted him.

It was the Sharia court's decision to retry him.

Western countries have a legal policy where by you can only be tried for a crime once. This is not to say anything negative about the legal systems of other countries, just a simple fact.

Answer 7

Yes, once you hit a foreign land, you fall under her laws unless of course you are lucky to be English or American. Just shout on cameras"I am English, I am English" and the whole "Innocents abroad" organisation will rally behind you and get you out. You will then be interviewed and Maxi boy will help you writing your new book, and become a millionaire hero.

Answer 8

Maybe he committed a crime, but the standards of proof and trial will be different. He will likely still be prosecuted in Britain, just with the guarantee that he will be entitled to due process that he would not have been entitled to in Pakistan.

How can you be certain this person committed murder? You have been provided proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he, with malice aforethought, killed the person. Are you sure there aren't any defenses to his crimes. Isn't he entitled to a presumption of innocence. In England yes, in Pakistan, maybe not.

Answer 9

The point it that he's a Brit and we don't do the death penalty thing! So our government feels obliged to help the chap. He'll get a couple of years here. Beats being beaten to death!

Answer 10

No we are British, we deserve proper British Justice handed down by decent public school educated upper middle class englishmen. We should not demean ourselves by submitting to the quasi justice of some unwashed savages. Johnnny foreigner should learn his place and leave justice to his betters.
Hooray for the British Empire and our great Queen, Queen Victoria, and her unfortunate choice of consort Prince Albert.