JINHA

NEWS CENTER – Eight of the ten men who attempted to assassinate Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan have been acquitted for the attack.

The Pakistani state has charged two of the attackers in the case with 25-year prison sentences, but has released the other eight attackers. It had taken nearly two years for police to arrest the men who carried out the 2012 attack on the young woman, who was advocating for the right to education for children.

The announcement was a surprise for the international press, who had previously reported in April that the 10 attackers had been sentenced to life in prison, based on an announcement by public prosecutor Sayed Naeem. Yesterday, Pakistan officials announced that in fact, eight were acquitted for lack of evidence.

Malala, who is currently 17, now lives in England, where she traveled for treatment for the assassination attempt that nearly killed her. In 2014, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.

(fk/cm)