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World

Afghan police officer sentenced to 20 years for killing AP photographer and wounding reporter

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    FILE - In this photo taken in October 2012, Associated Press reporter Kathy Gannon, second from left, and photographer Anja Niedringhaus pose for a photo with Afghan police recruits at the main police training academy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s highest court has ruled that the police officer convicted of murdering Niedringhaus and wounding Gannon almost one year ago, should serve 20 years in prison, according to documents sent to the country’s attorney general on Saturday, March 28, 2015. The final sentence for former Afghan police unit commander Naqibullah was reduced from the death penalty recommended by a primary court last year. Twenty years in prison is the maximum jail sentence in Afghanistan, said Zahid Safi, a lawyer for The Associated Press who had been briefed on the decision by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

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    FILE - In this April 7, 2005 file photo, Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus poses in Rome. Afghanistan’s highest court has ruled that the police officer convicted of murdering Niedringhaus and wounding AP correspondent Kathy Gannon almost one year ago should serve 20 years in prison, according to documents sent to the country’s attorney general on Saturday, March 28, 2015. The final sentence for former Afghan police unit commander Naqibullah was reduced from the death penalty recommended by a primary court last year. Twenty years in prison is the maximum jail sentence in Afghanistan, said Zahid Safi, a lawyer for The Associated Press who had been briefed on the decision by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File) (The Associated Press)

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    FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2014 file photo, Associated Press journalist Kathy Gannon poses for a photograph in Toronto. Afghanistan’s highest court has ruled that the police officer convicted of murdering Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding Gannon almost one year ago, should serve 20 years in prison, according to documents sent to the country’s attorney general on Saturday, March 28, 2015. The final sentence for former Afghan police unit commander Naqibullah was reduced from the death penalty recommended by a primary court last year. Twenty years in prison is the maximum jail sentence in Afghanistan, said Zahid Safi, a lawyer for The Associated Press who had been briefed on the decision by the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Darren Calabrese) (The Associated Press)

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghanistan's highest court has ruled that a police officer convicted of murdering Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding an AP correspondent almost one year ago should serve 20 years in prison.

Documents sent to the country's attorney general on Saturday reduce the final sentence for former Afghan police unit commander Naqibullah — who was originally sentenced to death last year.

Naqibullah, who uses only one name, opened fire on Niedringhaus and Kathy Gannon without warning as they were covering Afghanistan's presidential election outside the southeastern city of Khost in April.

An award-winning German photographer, Niedringhaus was renowned for her humane depictions of ordinary life as well as for her coverage of conflict zones.

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