Arizona Republic reports on comments by Attorney Billie Little for Faleh Hassan Almaleki accused of murdering his 20 year old daughter Noor Almaleki in an “honor killing” for not following “traditional Muslim values.”

Arizona Republic reports – “Religion issue raised in case of Glendale man in ‘honor killing'” by Dustin Gardiner:

— “The lawyer for an Iraqi immigrant accused of slaying his daughter in an ‘honor killing’ is asking a judge to take special precautions to ensure the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office doesn’t wrongly seek the death penalty against his client because he is a Muslim.”
— “In a motion filed last week in Maricopa County Superior Court, attorney Billie Little requests that the court force the County Attorney’s Office to make public the process it will use to determine whether to seek the death penalty for his client.”
— “Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, of Glendale, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his 20-year-old daughter, Noor Almaleki.”
— “The elder Almaleki is accused of using his Jeep to run over his daughter and another woman in a Peoria parking lot on Oct. 20. His daughter later died of her injuries.”
— “During a news conference last month, County Attorney Andrew Thomas said his office was still determining whether to seek the death penalty for Almaleki. He called the case ‘tragic,’ saying the county will prosecute Almaleki to the full extent.”
— “Prosecutors have labeled Noor Almaleki’s death an honor killing, saying the elder Almaleki killed his daughter because she disgraced the family by not following traditional Iraqi or Muslim values.”
— “Citing a tie between the case and religious or cultural beliefs, Little is asking Thomas’ office to record or keep transcripts of any meetings used to determine whether it will seek the death penalty for Almaleki.”
— “‘An open process provides some level of assurance that there is no appearance that a Christian is seeking to execute a Muslim for racial, political, religious or cultural beliefs,’ Little wrote, referring to Thomas as a Christian.”
— “Mike Scerbo, a spokesman for the County Attorney’s Office, declined to speak about the pending case or the review process that death penalty requests go through.”