Afghan court shows video of mob lynching woman in Kabul

Judge asks prosecutors to play footageof a crowd kicking and beating the 27-year-old woman, named Farkhunda

KABUL: Video of a mob killing an Afghan woman accused of burning pages from Quran was shown in court on Sunday in the trial of nearly 50 people over a lynching that prompted outrage and unprecedented protests in Kabul.

Read: Afghan mob lynches, burns woman to death in Kabul

The judge asked prosecutors on the second day of the trial to play footage, shot with mobile phone cameras, of a crowd kicking and beating the 27-year-old woman, named Farkhunda.

A total of 49 men, including several police officers, are on trial in the killing.

Read: Afghans bury woman beaten to death by mob

The police are accused of standing by and allowing the mob to kill the woman in broad daylight.

The attack proved a polarising incident in Afghanistan.

Some say the killing was a defence of Islam. Many others were outraged at the viciousness of the attack, even before an investigation showed that Farkhunda had been falsely accused of desecrating the Quran.

Read: Afghan woman lynched over Quran-burning was innocent: minister

Several protests against violence against women sprang up in Kabul, including one in the past week that re-enacted the attack.

Read: Afghan Taliban vow to punish those responsible for lynching woman

It was unclear when a verdict would be handed down in the trial, which was originally expected to last two days.