(Image Source: Al Jazeera)

BY STEVEN HSIEH
A glimmer of hope in a very dark situation. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has pardoned a rape victim who was serving a 12-year-sentence for adultery.

This news comes after previous reports that the woman, named Gulnaz, was freed under the condition that she marry her rapist, who was also her cousin.

CTV spoke with Gulnaz’s lawyer, Kimberley Motley – who says President Karzai personally contacted her to clarify the case…

Motley: “I want to be crystal clear.  She does not have to marry her attacker to get out of prison … In Gulnaz’s situation, she does have a place to go once she is released.  It’s a place that we will not disclose to people, and it’s a place that will provide her security.”

But Al Jazeera reports – Gulnaz’s woes may not be over…

“Cultural norms may mean pressure for Gulnaz to marry her attacker.  A judge of a previous stage of her appeal made that a condition of her release.”

Gulnaz’s case was featured in a EU-commissioned documentary about Afghan woman serving prison time for so-called “moral crimes.”  The EU blocked the film’s release – saying it would endanger the women involved in the film.

But a grassroots movement grew around Gulnaz’s case, gathering around 6,000 signatures petitioning for her release…

Al Jazeera reports – Gulnaz’s case highlights Afghanistan’s awful women’s rights record.

“Gulnaz’s case is a rare victory in a country where woman are often viewed as second class citizens…”