ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – Demissew Zerihun, who attacked 21-year-old Kamilat Mehdi in March 2007 with acid, received a 20-year jail sentence by a superior court in Addis Ababa yesterday. Co-defendant Yacob Haile was released freely.
Demissew Zerihun sentenced to 20 years in prison
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The acid attack, which severely disfigured Kamilat, had shocked Addis Ababa residents. Kamilat is currently in Paris, France undergoing constructive surgery.
A lower court had previously convicted and sentenced Demissew to death and Yared to 20 years in prison.
Upon appeal, the high court ruled that since Demissew did not intend to kill Kamilat, he doesn’t deserve to be punished by death. The high court also ruled that the evidence against co-defendant Yacob Haile, who was charged with assisting Demissew to carry out the attack, was not sufficient to convict him.
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