Death too harsh for Afzal: Geelani

New Delhi: Calling to save Indian democracy from the stigma of hanging Parliament attack accused Mohammad Afzal Guru, exonerated Delhi University lecturer S A R Geelani on Tuesday said his advocacy to 'pardon' him did not mean he was "innocent".

"I am not saying Afzal is innocent. It is just that he has not been given justice," Geelani said on Tuesday.

He claimed that if President A P J Abdul Kalam commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment, people would be satisfied to a great extent.

He said he was not questioning the "conviction" but the "sentence" part.

Geelani said the 1982 hanging of Maqbool Bhatt had helped the Government in no way and through Afzal's execution, the situation won't get any better.

''The Government must see that hanging does not become a stigma on the Indian democracy as everyone, cutting across political lines in Kashmir, was opposing the move. It will be a strategic move forward,” Geelani said.

Stressing that Afzal was not given a proper 'defence', Geelani said the real planners of the crime were scot free in Pakistan and the government was doing nothing about it. Afzal was a third level accused.

"The situation in Kashmir needs to be taken into account before deciding on what he had done,'' he added.

Accusing the police of having fabricated evidence and forged documents against Afzal, as stated by the Delhi High Court during trial, Geelani who himself was an accused in the case but was later exonerated, said he was sentenced on mere circumstancial evidence.

On being asked why didn't Afzal file a mercy petition himself, Geelani said he did not get justice in the courts so he thought he will not get justice any further.

Advocating ''life imprisonment'' for Afzal, the DU lecturer said he hoped after going through the documents, the President would definitely rethink the decision.

Meanwhile, Geelani, who was speaking under the 'Society for the Protection of Detainees' and Prisoners' Rights' banner, also informed that Afzal's wife Tabassum will present a petition to the President on Tuesday afternoon.

“She is merely going to submit the petition but will not meet Dr Kalam today. She would later visit Afzal at Tihar Jail, '' he said.