‘Honour killing’ appeal

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A father, mother and their son who were convicted for the so-called “honour killing” of four female members of their family had their appeal heard in a Toronto courtroom on Thursday.

Hamed Shafia’s lawyer presented new evidence that he says proves Hamed was 17 when his family was found dead and that his client should have been tried as a minor.

The bodies of Rona Amir, and the three teenage Shafia sisters: Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti, were pulled from the bottom of the Rideau Canall in Kingston in june of 2009.

They were discovered along with the family’s car at the bottom of the river.

Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Yahya and their son Hamed Shafia were found guilty for their death three years later .

The crown made the case that the murders were committed after the girls “shamed” the family by dating and living a “Western lifestyle.”.

The case made headlines around the world and sparked outrage about the so-called “honour killings.”

The Shafia family was originally from Afghanistan and Hamed’s lawyer argues that birthdays are not particularly significant to Afghan culture and that Hamed did not actually know how old he was at the time of the trial.

Lawyers for Mohammed and his wife say that if that fact had come to light during trial Hamed would likely have been tried separately and could have possibly been a witness for the couple.

In March of 2015, the three killers filed a document with the court of appeal saying they were the victims of “cultural stereotyping.”

Lawyers for all three argue that the testimony from a University of Toronto professor, who specializes in honour based violence shouldn’t have been permitted because it unfairly prejudiced the jury.

The three have maintained their innocence.