Saman Abbas's murder convictions final: life sentences for parents and cousins, 22 years for uncle

The Court of Cassation has finalized the sentences of the five family members involved in the murder of Saman Abbas , the young woman of Pakistani origin killed in Novellara, in the province of Reggio Emilia, on the night between April 30 and May 1, 2021. The judges of the first criminal section rejected the appeals presented by the defendants, fully upholding the sentences established in the second instance trial.

The life sentences for the girl's parents, Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen , and for her cousins , Ijaz Ikram and Noman Ul Haq , were confirmed . The 22-year prison sentence for her uncle, Danish Hasnain, was also upheld. The sentence was originally given 14 years, but was later increased by the Court of Appeal.

Murder linked to refusal of arranged marriage

According to the court's reconstruction, Saman Abbas was killed because she had decided to oppose the arranged marriage her family had arranged with a cousin living in Pakistan. This was a choice of freedom that her relatives would not have accepted, combined with the young woman's desire to build her own future, continue her studies, and live out her relationship with her fiancé.

Don't miss the latest news from La Milano: Add us to your favorite sources on Google in just one click.

The girl had gradually adopted a lifestyle her family considered incompatible with the rigid traditions they wanted to impose on her. Saman wanted to freely decide who she loved, how she dressed, and where she lived. According to what emerged during the legal proceedings, this very demand for autonomy was interpreted by the family as an intolerable challenge.

Disappeared during the night between April and May 2021

Saman disappeared on the night between April 30th and May 1st, 2021, a few days after returning to her family home in Novellara. The young woman had spent time in a protected community in Bologna and had reportedly returned to retrieve her documents, intending to leave permanently and start a new life with her boyfriend.

The last images of the eighteen-year-old were captured by surveillance cameras installed near the farm where the family lived. Saman was filmed leaving the house accompanied by her parents. She hasn't been heard from since.

The criminal plan and the pit prepared in advance

The investigation and subsequent trials revealed a crime organized and carried out within the family unit. The young woman was allegedly attacked in the driveway in front of the house, strangled, and then buried in a hole dug under an abandoned farmhouse, about a hundred meters from the house.

The judges believed it was not a sudden act or a crime committed on impulse. The preparation of the grave, the relatives' movements captured by the cameras, and the actions following the disappearance all contributed to the emergence of a planned action. The defendants were found guilty of the aggravating circumstances of premeditation and abject or frivolous motives.

The role attributed to parents and other family members

During the trial, Saman's parents were identified as those who allegedly instigated and supported the plot to kill their daughter. Cousins ​​Ijaz Ikram and Noman Ul Haq were held responsible for the actual execution of the crime, while her uncle Danish Hasnain was credited with playing a central role in the planning and aftermath of the murder.

All five family members left Italy after the girl's disappearance. Over the course of approximately three years, they were located in Europe and Pakistan and subsequently brought before the Italian justice system. The uncle was captured in France, while the father was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to Italy. The mother, who had been a fugitive for a long time, was also eventually located and transferred to Italy.

The body was found after a year and a half

Saman Abbas's body was found on November 18, 2022 , more than a year and a half after her disappearance. It was Danish Hasnain who pointed investigators to the location where his niece's remains had been hidden, inside a ruin located not far from the family home.

Forensic examinations confirmed that the young woman had been killed by strangulation. The discovery of the body allowed investigators to consolidate their investigation and confirm numerous elements that had already emerged during the investigation, which had always focused on the family environment.

The boyfriend raised the alarm after the disappearance

The eighteen-year-old's disappearance was reported to the authorities by her boyfriend, concerned about the sudden loss of contact. His statements allowed investigators to reconstruct the tensions between Saman and her family, who were opposed to the relationship and intent on forcing the previously agreed-upon marriage upon her.

The young woman had already reported the situation and left the home, finding protection in a community. Her return to Novellara, to retrieve the documents needed to become independent, turned out to be her final journey to the house where she would be killed.

The appeal ruling had overturned two acquittals

The legal process went through several stages. In the first instance, the parents were sentenced to life imprisonment, while the two cousins ​​were acquitted. Their uncle, Danish Hasnain, received a 14-year sentence, partly due to his cooperation in finding the body.

The Bologna Court of Appeals later reversed its decision, sentencing Ijaz Ikram and Noman Ul Haq to life in prison and increasing the uncle's sentence to 22 years. The lower court judges recognized the concerted and premeditated nature of the murder, attributing to all the family members a role in the plan to prevent Saman from escaping family control.

The Attorney General's Office: "A concerted and premeditated act."

During the hearing before the Supreme Court of Cassation, held on June 17, the Attorney General's Office requested that the appeals be dismissed and the convictions upheld. Attorney General Marco Dall'Olio emphasized that the evidence gathered ruled out the possibility of a sudden act.

The prosecution's reconstruction described a young woman who, despite being an adult, was denied the right to make her own decisions about her own life. The murder was characterized as a premeditated and collective act, conceived when Saman expressed her desire to permanently escape family restrictions.

Differenza Donna: "A social turning point, even before a legal one."

The Differenza Donna association , a civil party in the case, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, emphasizing its significance not only for its legal but also its social implications. Attorney Maria Teresa Manente, head of the association's legal department, stated that the ruling definitively recognizes the patriarchal nature of the murder.

According to the lawyer, Saman was punished because she rejected the subordinate role imposed on her and asserted her right to choose who to love, her education, how to dress, and how to live. Her death, the association emphasized, cannot be considered a culturally motivated incident, but rather the result of a deliberate attempt to suppress the young woman's freedom.

A verdict that also concerns invisible women

Lawyer Rossella Benedetti, also a member of the legal department of Differenza Donna, explained that the confirmation of the convictions ideally also concerns all women who turn to anti-violence centers every day to seek protection from oppressive or dangerous family situations.

The incident reminds institutions of the need to promptly recognize risk indicators and ensure effective protection measures. Saman's case has highlighted the complexity of the interventions required when a young woman reports pressure, threats, or attempts to impose marital and personal choices against her will.

Brother Ali Haider's grief

The final sentence does not erase the consequences suffered by Saman's brother, Ali Haider , who during the trial provided important information about the family situation. Valeria Miari, the civil party lawyer who represented him, emphasized how his life has been irreversibly affected by the loss of his sister and the involvement of his family in the crime.

Ali Haider continues to be supported by a network of institutions and professionals, but, according to his lawyer, it's unlikely he'll be able to fully overcome what happened. The loss of his sister is compounded by the burden of a legal case that led to the final conviction of his parents and other relatives.

The judicial conclusion of a symbolic affair

With the appeals rejected, the proceedings for the murder of Saman Abbas have reached their final conclusion. The four life sentences and the 22-year sentence establish the family's responsibility on a judicial level and confirm the planned nature of the crime.

Saman's story remains a tragic symbol of the violence inflicted against those who claim the right to self-determination. A young woman was killed for refusing an imposed marriage and for trying to build her own life freely. The Supreme Court's decision closes the case, but leaves open the issues of prevention, victim protection, and the ability of institutions to intervene before threats escalate into irreparable violence.