The Delhi High Court has upheld the death penalty handed out to the four men convicted in the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman that shocked the country in 2012.

A trial court in Delhi handed down the death penalty to the men in September. It found them guilty of gang-rape, murder, unnatural sexual offences, criminal conspiracy and other offences.

The trial court later sent the case to the High Court for confirmation of the death sentence. The accused also filed appeals. A death sentence can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court, after which the defendant may file a mercy petition with the president.

The convicted men are Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, and Pawan Gupta. The 2012 December Delhi gang-rape led to protests across the country and international outrage, prompting the Government to amend laws to apply stricter punishments for rape.

Also read: 'Those monsters ate her up alive, please hang them'