The British Attorney General has been urged to increase a jail sentence for a killer involved in an alleged racist attack in Co Derry.
Relatives of shopkeeper Brij Sharma and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities are behind an appeal against the 17-month term handed down after his manslaughter.
Mr Sharma (38) a member of the Indian community from north Belfast, was attacked outside his girlfriend's home in Moneymore.
He fractured his skull and died days after being punched by Stephen McGlone (22) of Woodvale Crescent in the town.
Mr Sharma's family were outraged at the length of sentence given last month, claiming it showed how cheaply life was treated.
Even though the assault was not treated as racially motivated by the trial judge, a brother of the dead man insisted it had provoked the fatal strike.
Bharat Sharma claimed: "He [McGlone] was in a pub earlier boasting about settling a score with a Paki bastard. This has left us feeling very vulnerable. We have been saying that it doesn't matter if you belong to the Indian, Chinese or any other foreign community in Northern Ireland. That is all we are worth."
Patrick Yu, head of the Ethnic Minorities Commission, has backed the family's campaign. Letters were sent to Attorney General Lord Goldsmith and Sir Alasdair Fraser, Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland, claiming the sentence was too lenient.
The move came within the time limit for contesting a jail term. Mr Yu, who will join Mr Sharma at a press conference in Belfast tomorrow, confirmed he had contacted the prosecuting authorities.
PA