Campaigners fighting for the freedom of Bradford mother-of-three Zoora Shah will stage demonstrations outside the Appeal Court during her four-day appeal hearing.

As well as the daily pickets, they plan to release balloons on the first and last day of the hearing.

Mrs Shah, 46, has served six years of a life sentence after being convicted of murdering Mohammed Azam, a married man with whom she had a relationship.

Her side of the story never came out at her trial, but with aid and support from women's groups, she has now begun talking about the background to the case.

Her revelations about being repeatedly raped and beaten have won her leave to appeal against her conviction, on the grounds of diminished responsibility and provocation.

The four-day hearing starts at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, March 31.

Her case has been taken up by the Keighley Domestic Violence Forum who are fighting for her release along with her three children who still live in Bradford and the Southall Black Sisters, a London-based black women's organisation.

Among the demonstrators outside the courts will be Kiranjit Ahluwalia, whose successful appeal in a case similar to Zoora Shah's in 1992 was a landmark case highlighting the cause of battered women.

Kiranjit said: "When I heard Zoora's story, I knew I had to be involved.

"Mohammed Azam was blackmailing her, beating her and using her as a prostitute. Then he turned his dirty eyes on her children. That is more than any mother could bear."

Hannana Siddique, of Southall Black Sisters, said: "This case has blown open the lid on the closed community of Bradford, where the religious leadership sanctions domestic violence at all levels.

"This situation is exacerbated by a criminal justice system in which women face immense obstacles trying to establish defences of diminished responsibility, provocation or self defence."

Anyone who wants to join the campaign should call ( 44 0 1535) 210999. The lines are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 4pm.

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