JEDDAH: The father of a 19-year-old Syrian schoolboy beaten to death by two Canadians and a Jordanian in a schoolyard brawl said it was “untrue and misleading” to say he was intending to pardon those charged of his son’s murder as reported by Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.
The Canadian newspaper reported that Mueen Al-Haraki, father of Munzer Al-Haraki, was intending to forgive his son’s killers with certain conditions.
“Mueen Al-Haraki’s rare offer of clemency comes with strings attached: He is demanding that Saudi Arabia order the death penalty for Mohamed and Sultan Kohail, a public admission of guilt from the brothers and an apology from their family for the killing of Munzer.
Most crucially, he is asking the Canadian government to stop interfering in their case,” the newspaper said.
Al-Haraki said the report was inaccurate.
“I never mentioned it in that context nor were there any conditions or talk of conditions. I was disappointed about the way the Kohail family reacted after the incident.
I was surprised and enquired why the Canadian government was defending murderers. I never gave any hope of clemency,” he said, adding that he wants a verdict.
“When a verdict is issued then there will be talk... Our family is seeking justice. A verdict.
That is what we want. It is between us and God Almighty,” he said. A general court in Jeddah sentenced 23-year-old Canadian national Mohammed Kohail and 22-year-old Jordanian national Mohanna Ezzat to death for the murder.
Mohammed’s brother Sultan, 18, was initially sentenced by a juvenile court to 200 lashes and a year in prison.
However, an appeals court threw out the ruling and ordered a retrial in an adult court.
Sultan may also face the death penalty if found guilty.
