"My Son Was Framed, Executed for Nothing": Akhlaq’s Mother

The mother of Akhlas Akhlaq, a Russian national who was executed today in Pakistan after being convicted of attempting to assassinate the country's former president, says her son was set up and kept in custody on concocted charges; his parents claim Pakistani authorities didn't have any real evidence that he committed the crime

MOSCOW, December 21 (Sputnik) — Russian national Akhlas Akhlaq, executed on Sunday in Pakistan for attempting to assassinate former president of the country, has not had a chance to familiarize with charging papers against him, Akhlas' mother told Sputnik.

"He has not seen any charging papers. Russia should send a request and find out what the charges were. They are just biased against the foreigners, you see. My son is absolutely not guilty," said Svetlana Akhlaq.

She said that her son was libelled, adding that the Pakistanis abducted him and kept him in custody on completely concocted charges.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed, citing Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, that Akhlaq was hanged along with three other accomplices for attempting to assassinate former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in 2003.

Previously, the Russian consul in Pakistan told RIA Novosti, citing Akhlas Akhlaq’s lawyer, that the execution was postponed until Akhlaq’s mother arrival scheduled for Monday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan considers the charges brought against Russian citizen Akhlas Akhlaq, executed Sunday for an attempt to assassinate the country's former president, to be reasonable, a source close to the ministry told RIA Novosti.

"The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan believes the charges against Akhlas Akhlaq are reasonable, and not far-fetched," the source said.

On Wednesday, Pakistan lifted the moratorium on death penalty for terrorism-related crimes following the December 16 massacre in a Peshawar school, in which the Taliban killed 145 people, vast majority of them children.