STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuters) -- A Kurdish immigrant was jailed for life on Wednesday for the execution-style murder of his daughter in a case that has called into question Sweden's ability to integrate immigrants into its liberal society. 

The Uppsala district court said the crime was particularly serious as Fadime Sahindal, 26, was gunned down in front of her mother and two sisters, the younger aged only 13. 

"The way the deed was carried out can be compared to a straight execution," the court said in a written verdict. 

"Given this, the only penalty that comes into question is life imprisonment." 

Rahmi Sahindal, 56, confessed to shooting Fadime in January, while she was visiting her sister. At the trial he said she had humiliated him by discussing family issues in public. 

The high-profile case, sparking a debate on the difficulties faced by immigrants adapting to life in Sweden, put a spotlight on "honour killings" in which women are killed by male relatives to defend the family's honour. 

"This is a unique, dramatic event that has engaged people from all levels and can have a big impact on relations with immigrants," said Jose Alberto Diaz, an official at the Integration Board, charged by the government to ensure immigrants settle into Swedish society. 

Fadime Sahindal was well-known in Sweden after appearing on television in 1998, saying she feared her family would kill her because she had a Swedish boyfriend. 

She also spoke in parliament on the difficulties immigrant girls can face when wishing to live a modern Westernised life. 

Her father came to Sweden about 20 years ago from a village in rural Turkey, and was later joined by the family. He could now spend the rest of his life in a Swedish prison. 

Convicts sentenced to a life term in Sweden remain in jail until they are pardoned. In recent years, prisoners have typically been pardoned after 18 to 25 years in prison. 

Since Fadime Sahindal's murder, the government has acted to protect girls of immigrant backgrounds. 

The authorities are opening more secure housing for girls who need protection from their families, and have changed the law on marriage so that non-Swedes living in the country are also subject to a law barring marriage before age 18.