What a crazy story. It’s amazing what jealousy (which appears to have been her motivation) can drive people to do. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) – A court on Tuesday sentenced a Kuwaiti woman to death for starting a fire that killed 57 women and children at the wedding party of her husband who married another wife.
Judge Adel al-Sager read out the verdict against Nasra Yussef Mohammed al-Enezi, 23, at the court of first instance.
Death sentences in Kuwait are carried out by hanging, but it would first have to be upheld by the appeals court.
The woman who was not present in the court was found guilty of “premeditated murder and starting a fire with the intent to kill.”
Defence lawyer Zaid al-Khabbaz described the ruling as “very harsh” and vowed he would prove the woman’s innocence in the higher courts.
“The ruling was very harsh against a woman who is innocent,” Khabbaz told AFP. “It is a political judgement rather than a criminal ruling because the court came under the influence of public opinion.”
He said the public prosecution failed to “unequivocally prove that Nasra was the perpetrator. The case contained many legal loopholes.”
Khabbaz said the defence team was considering contacting international human rights organisations in its bid to save Enezi’s life.
He also said the defence team would have a better opportunity to prove her innocence in the appeals and supreme courts.
The August 15 inferno engulfed the women-and-children-only tent in minutes and triggered a stampede.
At her first hearing in October, the suspect denied the charges.
At another hearing, an Asian domestic helper testified in court that she saw Enezi pour petrol and start the fire at the wedding tent in Jahra, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Kuwait City.
Her defence lawyers had alleged at the time that Enezi was two months pregnant when arrested and was “deliberately aborted” by a prison guard with the help of an Asian nurse.
Enezi was arrested on August 16, a day after 41 women and children died in the fire inside the wedding tent. The death toll later rose to 57, including several Saudis and stateless Arabs.
The incident shocked the small Gulf Arab state and Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah ordered that relatives of each victim be paid 35,000 dollars in compensation.
Enezi was initially believed to be the groom’s ex-wife but defence lawyers said she was still his wife, as men are allowed to have more than one wife in this Muslim state.
Enezi and the man have two children, both of whom are mentally handicapped.
