Italy’s Supreme Court has upheld the murder convictions of five relatives of Saman Abbas, an 18-year-old woman of Pakistani origin who was killed in 2021 after refusing an arranged marriage. The ruling makes the convictions and sentences final, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.
The Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed life sentences for Abbas’ parents, Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen, as well as her cousins, Ijaz Ikram and Nomanul Haq. Additionally, the court upheld a 22-year prison sentence for her uncle, Danish Hasnain.
Saman Abbas lived with her family in Novellara, northern Italy. In 2020, she opposed her family’s plan to marry her to a cousin in Pakistan. Consequently, she sought help from social services and moved to a shelter while she was still a minor. She also reported her parents to police before returning home in April 2021.
Authorities launched a search for Abbas on May 5, 2021, after visiting her home and finding it empty. Investigators later discovered that her parents had travelled to Pakistan without her, raising serious concerns about her disappearance.
Furthermore, security camera footage recorded on April 29, 2021, showed five individuals leaving the family home carrying shovels, a crowbar, and a bucket before returning several hours later. The evidence became a key part of the murder investigation.
Following the killing, both parents fled to Pakistan. However, authorities later extradited them to Italy, where they stood trial alongside other family members.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. She said the ruling brought a painful judicial process to an end, although no verdict could restore Saman Abbas’ life.
Meloni also stressed that Italy would never accept violence justified by cultural or religious claims. She said the country remained committed to protecting every woman’s freedom, dignity, and right to life.
The case attracted international attention and became a symbol of the fight against so-called honour-based violence and forced marriages in Europe.
