A Pakistani court sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for murdering a teenage influencer last year after she had repeatedly rejected his advances.
Sana Yousaf’s murder in June drew nationwide condemnation and reignited debate over women’s safety, after some online comments – alongside condolences – blamed her for her own death.
A judge announced to a cramped Islamabad courtroom on Tuesday afternoon that 22-year-old Umar Hayat was sentenced to death and fined US$7,200.
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“This verdict is a lesson for anyone who commits such acts, showing that they should never be repeated,” Yousaf’s father told journalists outside the courtroom, alongside her mother.
Hayat shot 17-year-old TikTok star Yousaf at her home in the capital after she repeatedly rejected him, according to police and the teenager’s family.
Yousaf had millions of followers on social media, where she posted videos about food, fashion and skincare. She also spoke openly about relationship problems, a topic still considered taboo in the Muslim-majority country.