Afghan court overturned death sentence on four men for mob killing of a young woman

An Afghan court has overturned the death sentence imposed on four men for their part in mob killing of a young woman in Kabul, the country's capital, and sentenced them to 20 years in prison instead.

The four men were sentenced to death last month by hanging for their part in the lynching last March of the woman named only as Farkhunda.

Prosecutors alleged that 27-year-old Farkhunda was beaten to death in a frenzied attack sparked by a bogus accusation that she had burned a copy of the Quran.

Farkhunda's killing shocked many Afghans, though some public and religious figures said it would have been justified if she had in fact damaged the Quran. A presidential investigation later found that accusations were false.

The charges against the men included assault, murder and encouraging others to participate in the assault.