Six former National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) cadets, all aged 28, have been sentenced to death for the murder of fellow cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain on Jul. 24, 2024.

Zulfarhan died seven years ago on Jun. 1, 2017, after being branded with a hot iron all over his body, including his private parts, by his schoolmates.

The six are Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri, and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.

The victim and all of the accused were students of UPNM, a military university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that prepares students to be part of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

The Court of Appeal handed down the sentence following the prosecution's appeal against the previous sentence of 18 years imposed by the High Court on Nov. 2, 2021, reported Bernama and The Star.

Tortured to get confession

Zulfarhan was reportedly bullied and tortured by his schoolmates to coerce a confession about stealing a laptop.

In addition to the six accused, 12 others had their original three-year imprisonment sentence overturned and replaced with a four-year term for intentionally causing injury to Zulfarhan.

These former students, aged 21 at the time, committed the offence at a hostel within their university between 2:30 am and 5:30 am on May 21, 2017, and in the same room between 1:30 am and 4:30 am on May 22 of that year, according to the New Straits Times.

Zulfarhan was found with burn marks and bruises in an apartment in Serdang at 8pm on Jun. 1, 2017, and was taken to the Serdang Hospital where he was later pronounced dead at 10pm.

Case 'shocking and rare': Judge

When delivering the verdict for the six accused, a judge speaking on behalf of the three-judge panel described the case as "shocking and rare".

"We agree with the prosecution that the way the murder was conducted 'shocked not only the judicial conscience but even the collective conscience of the society. This case is the rarest of the rare involving a heinous crime. Such cruelty must be stopped," she said.

The judge reportedly spent over three hours reading the 93-page judgment and instructed all six accused to stand before pronouncing the sentence.

"Therefore we unanimously decide that there will be only one sentence for all six accused persons, where all of them shall be taken to the gallows where they will be hung to death," she said.

Justice has been served: Victim's father

The judge also sympathised with Zulfarhan's parents, saying: "Only Allah would know how they must have been destroyed when they saw that their son was treated that way."

Reacting to the sentence, Zulfarhan's parents expressed gratitude to the Court of Appeal judge for "making the right decision", saying that justice has been served, reported The Star.

According to Bernama, they also shed tears and performed the "sujud syukur" (prostration of gratitude) after the sentence was announced.

Zulkarnain Idros, the deceased's father, said he and his wife were grateful that the death penalty was handed down to his son's murderers, as they feel that justice has been served.

They expressed their thanks towards the prosecutors and the Malaysian public who have been following the case.

Top photos via Astro Awani and Bernama