Brother sentenced to 16 years in sister's 'honor killing'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A Tel Aviv court has sentenced an Israeli Arab man to 16 years in prison for involvement in the murder of his sister in a so-called "honor killing," after several female relatives took the rare step of testifying against him, according to court documents. Hamda Abu Ghanem was the ninth woman killed in the clan in recent years by men in the family. She was shot in January last year as she slept at her parents' home in a Muslim neighborhood of Ramle. "Honor killings" refer to murder of women by relatives for allegedly sullying the good name of the family, usually because of sexual misdeeds. Incriminating evidence against the brother, Kamil Abu Ghanem, included an account by an aunt who said she saw him enter the family home, heard shots, and then saw him flee the area. Gunpowder was also found on the clothes he wore that day, according to the documents.