Italy’s top court confirms life sentences in Saman Abbas honour killing

Italy’s highest court has delivered its final verdict in the high-profile honour killing case of Pakistani teenager Saman Abbas, confirming life imprisonment for her parents and two cousins while also upholding the prison sentence of her uncle. The ruling ends years of legal proceedings and closes one of Italy’s most widely followed murder cases.

Saman Abbas, 18, lived with her family in the town of Novellara in northern Italy. She disappeared in late April 2021 after refusing to marry a cousin in Pakistan. She wanted to choose her own future and continue her relationship with a young man her family did not approve of. According to investigators, this decision led to growing tensions within the family.

Months before her disappearance, Saman had contacted Italian authorities and reported pressure from her parents over the proposed marriage. Social services placed her in a protected shelter for her safety. In April 2021, she briefly returned home to collect her passport and personal belongings before planning to start a new life. She was never seen alive again.

Investigators believe Saman was murdered during the night of April 30 and May 1, 2021. Surveillance cameras recorded several members of her family leaving their home carrying shovels, crowbars and buckets before returning a few hours later. The footage became one of the most important pieces of evidence during the investigation.

After Saman disappeared, police searched the family home. However, her parents had already fled to Pakistan. Her body remained missing for more than a year before investigators discovered her remains buried near an abandoned farmhouse close to the family residence. Medical examinations later confirmed that she had suffered a broken neck before being buried.

An international investigation followed. Saman’s father was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to Italy in 2023. Her mother was arrested in Azad Kashmir in 2024 after spending several years in hiding. Her uncle was handed over by French authorities, while two cousins were arrested in Spain.

Italian prosecutors argued that Saman was killed because she rejected an arranged marriage and chose a lifestyle that her family considered unacceptable. During the trial, prosecutors described the murder as a carefully planned act carried out to punish her for seeking independence and exercising her personal freedom.

The Supreme Court of Cassation rejected all appeals filed by the convicted relatives. The decision makes the life sentences for her parents and cousins permanent. The court also confirmed the uncle’s 22-year prison sentence, bringing the lengthy legal process to an end.

Women’s rights organisations welcomed the verdict, calling it an important step in the fight against honour-based violence. They said the ruling sends a clear message that violence committed in the name of family honour, culture or tradition has no place in modern society. They added that every woman has the right to decide whom she marries, how she lives and the future she wants without fear of violence.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also welcomed the final judgment. She said no court ruling could bring Saman Abbas back, but those responsible had now been held fully accountable. She stressed that Italy would continue to defend the freedom, dignity and rights of women and would not accept cultural or religious excuses for crimes of this nature.