JEDDAH: The Jeddah General Court has upheld a death sentence passed on a Canadian and a Jordanian convicted for the murder of a 19-year-old Syrian youth in a schoolyard brawl in 2007.
The court was asked to review its verdict by the Supreme Judicial Council in February. The council, which endorses all capital and corporal punishments issued by lower courts, made a number of inquiries and sent the case back to the Jeddah General Court.
The council inquiries have not been made public but have been described as “technical” by inside sources. “The court prepared its reply. It upheld the death penalty verdict,” said a court source who did not want to be named. “The court will send its official reply on Saturday,” he added.
Two Canadian brothers and a Jordanian were charged and convicted for the murder of Syrian national Munzer Al-Hiraki in an after school fight in January 2007.
The older Canadian brother, Mohammed Kohail, 23, and the Jordanian national, Mohanna Ezzat, 22, were sentenced to death early last year. The verdict was upheld by the Appeals Court last November but was not endorsed by the Supreme Judicial Council in February.
The younger Canadian brother, Sultan Kohail, was previously sentenced to 200 lashes and a year in prison by a juvenile court. However, an Appeals Court overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial in an adult court. Sultan may also face the death penalty if found guilty.
“New developments in Sultan’s case are expected to be unveiled next week,” said the source.
The school fight allegedly took place after Sultan, who was 17 at the time, harassed Al-Hiraki’s 19-year-old cousin, Raneem.
The Al-Hiraki family has been contacted over the past month by several public figures asking them to forgive the youths.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Munzer’s uncle, Minwer Al-Hiraki, said, “Its unbelievable. The number of calls we have received has increased dramatically in the past month.”
Minwer explained that calls to intervene to persuade the family to drop the death penalty charges began after the Supreme Judicial Council sent the case papers back.
“Every two days for the past few weeks a different prominent figure, businessman or government official pleads with us to forgive those who murdered our son. It’s our right. It’s an unrealistic demand. Our son was savagely murdered. We demand our legal right,” said Minwer, who expressed his family’s frustration on the matter.
“The family is not bloodthirsty for revenge. When the final verdict is finalized then there is room for talk not before,” said Minwer.
