KUWAIT: GALLOWS FOR THREE INDIANS, WOMAN IN DRUG TRAFFICKING

June 28, 2016: The Court of Appeals presided over by Judge Ali Diran has upheld the verdict of the lower court and sentenced three Indians and a Sri Lankan woman to death by hanging for trafficking in drugs.
According to case papers, the sentences were issued by the Criminal Court in March 2016 against the people identified only as F.M., M.H. and A.B. – all believed to be from the south Indian state of Kerala, and the Sri Lankan identified only as S.B.
The case papers indicate one of the suspects was caught at the Kuwait International Airport in 2015 while attempting to smuggle heroin into the country and during interrogations he gave the names of his accomplices who were subsequently picked up from their hideout in Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh.
During interrogation all the four had admitted to the charge related to smuggling heroin, possessing and selling drugs in the country. According to Kuwait laws, an accused has to be proven guilty three times at three different trials — the Criminal Court, the Court of Appeals and the Cassation Court and even then the capital punishment will not be executed unless the highest authority in the country ratifies the sentence. (Sources: arabtimesonline.com, 29/07/2016)