 ZURICH: Swiss prosecutors have charged a Pakistani man over the "honour killing" of his wife, according to legal documents published on Wednesday. Ajmal Butt Aziz, 24, is accused of murdering his 20-year-old wife Khudeja because she refused to follow Islamic tradition and wear a headscarf, according to the charge sheet published by the Corriere del Ticino newspaper.
| “Aziz's spouse died after he allegedly bludgeoned her to death with a hammer as she slept ... Aziz claimed he acted in self-defence after being attacked by his wife...” |
Aziz's spouse died in July 2005 after he allegedly bludgeoned her to death with a hammer as she slept at the couple's home in Bellinzona, in Switzerland's southern canton of Ticino. Born in Pakistan, Khudeja Aziz was brought up in Switzerland and was a citizen of the Alpine country. Aziz claimed he acted in self-defence after being attacked by his wife. Prosecutors, however, alleged that he acted because he was opposed to his wife's western lifestyle and her wish to find a job, and also that she was seeking a divorce. No date has yet been set for Aziz's trial. |