Girlfriday joins calls to save student.

The world's most powerful woman has added her voice to the campaign to save the life of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the Afghan student journalist sentenced to death for downloading material on women's rights from the internet.

Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, promised yesterday to raise his case personally with the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, which would significantly raise the international pressure for his release.

Ms Rice, who was in London for talks with Gordon Brown and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, on the West's Afghanistan strategy said: "I do think that the Afghans understand that there are some international norms that need to be respected. Of course, one has national laws and they're national laws that are in accordance with traditions and religious practice. But there are international norms, and I'll certainly talk to President Karzai about this case."

About 69,000 people have signed The Independent's petition to save Mr Kambaksh, who was sentenced to death under Afghanistan's strict blasphemy laws after distributing to his journalism class a document from the internet that commented on Koranic verses about women's rights. His conviction by an Islamic courthas caused worldwide outrage since it was first highlighted in The Independent last week.

Asked why the United States government had not spoken out over Mr Kambaksh's plight – especially after it won a stay of execution for a man who converted to Christianity in the country in 2006 – Ms Rice replied: "I'll certainly raise the case with President Karzai. This is a young democracy and I think it won't surprise you that we are not supportive of everything that comes up through the judicial system in Afghanistan."

Ms Rice also hinted that Mr Karzai was aware of the growing furore over the student journalist's plight and that he may be willing to use his power of presidential pardon to rescind the death sentence. However, Afghan officials said that the case must first exhaust the judicial process, in line with the country's laws.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/set-pervez-free-rice-joins-calls-to-save-student-779130.html