He did it all in the name of fighting blasphemy.
Qadri's supporters consider him a hero for defending Islam. His home is now a shrine, and he was been showered with rose petals by lawyers when he appeared in court, according to the Washington Post.
Monday, the 26-year-old policeman pleaded guilty in a Pakistani court to murdering Salman Taseer, Punjab’s provincial governor.
Qadri said he killed Taseer because of the governor’s opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law, which dictates that criticism of the Prophet Mohammed is a capital crime. Thousands of people have demonstrated in support of the law and at the rallies, banners supporting Qadri have been present.
"Mumtaz Qadri sacrificed himself to protect the sanctity of our prophet, and every one of us here is ready to do the same thing," a seminary student and protester told the Washington Post.
The assassination, which has sparked outrage from some, also has "quickly united and emboldened a broad spectrum of Islamic groups," according to the Washington Post.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could end up at Guantanamo Bay if he is extradited to Sweden, his lawyers will argue next month, according to legal papers they released Tuesday.
He would be at risk of mistreatment or even execution, they will argue, saying that means Britain cannot extradite him without violating his human rights.
"There is a real risk he could be made subject to the death penalty," Assange lawyers say in documents they released Tuesday, citing British media reports that Republican politicians Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee have called for him to be executed.
The lawyers released a preliminary outline of their planned arguments Tuesday, ahead of an extradition hearing for Assange next month.
Prosecutors in Sweden want him for questioning in connection with sexual misconduct allegations unrelated to WikiLeaks.
Assange has denied the allegations, and is free on 200,000 pounds ($310,000) bail while he fights extradition.
Assange and his lawyers appeared briefly in court in London Tuesday for a procedural hearing.
The judge in the case agreed to a change in Assange's bail conditions for two days next month so he can get to the main extradition hearing on time on February 7 and 8.
FULL STORY
Winter weather – A winter storm that covered much of the Southeast with snow and ice will move up the East Coast on Tuesday, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service predicted 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Philadelphia area, 4 inches or more in northern New Jersey, and 2 to 6 inches in southern Delaware from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning.
Light to moderate sleet and ice accumulations are expected across parts of the Carolinas, according to the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Maryland.
Although most of the wintry precipitation had left much of the South by Monday night, parts of the region are likely to see snow and ice on the ground until the weekend, as an Arctic low slides in, bringing low temperatures in the teens.
Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Today's programming highlights...
9:00 am ET - Capitol Hill remembers Tucson victims - Lawmakers, staff and others sign a condolence book for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting.
Kwame Kilpatrick, the imprisoned former mayor of Detroit, pleaded not guilty to new charges of racketeering, extortion, bribery and filing false tax returns Monday, court officials said.
Kilpatrick along with four other defendants were at the arraignment in federal court in Michigan.
The five defendants were silent as their charges were read to them and not guilty pleas were entered for them.
A pre-trial hearing was set for April 13.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Recent Comments