Latest News
- No Transactions Without Biometrics
- Passenger Caught With Pure Cocaine From Europe
- The Elderly Man Was Not Insulted By Me
- 97% Of MEW Workforce Are Kuwaitis; Strength 34,417
- Rushing Home For 'iftar' Causes Accidents And Deaths
- Expect Hot Days, Cool Nights, And Thunderstorms In Kuwait
- Health Procedures For Expatriates Updated
- Kuwait's Agility Global Seeks Inclusion On Abu Dhabi's ADX
- Public Authority For Industry Completes Industry Law Amendment P...
- Indian Ambassador Hosts Ramadan Celebration In Kuwait
- Al-Mashaan Grants Authority For Transfers Of Municipal Departmen...
- For The Expansion Of The Subiya Site, 204.178 Million Dinars And...
Death By Hanging Over The Murder Of A Filipina Maid
A Kuwaiti court on Sunday sentenced in absentia a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife to death by hanging over the murder of a Filipina maid, a judicial source said.
The court issued the sentence in the first hearing in the case of Joanna Demafelis, the 29-year-old maid whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait earlier this year
The sentencing can still be appealed if the couple returns to Kuwait, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Philippines Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa declined to comment on the verdict, telling AFP his country would await the rendition of the convicts.
The Lebanese-Syrian couple was arrested in February in the Syrian capital Damascus following an Interpol manhunt. Syrian authorities handed the husband, Nader Essam Assaf, over to Lebanese authorities, while his Syrian wife remained in custody in Damascus. Philippines Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Arriola on Sunday was scheduled to hold talks with officials in Kuwait on conditions for Filipino workers, including labour law violations.
The Demafelis murder triggered a diplomatic crisis between Kuwait and the Philippines, prompting Manila to impose a departure ban for its citizens planning to work in the Gulf state. An estimated 252,000 Filipinos and Filipinas work in Kuwait and depend on remittances to help their families back home.
In the wake of the Demafelis murder, Manila has been working to facilitate the return of its nationals who wish to leave, including those who have lost their residency status. Ambassador Villa told AFP Sunday that his country has already repatriated 4,000 Filipino nationals living in Kuwait without the necessary paperwork. “We are now in talks with Kuwaiti authorities to secure an amnesty that will allow 6,000 Filipinos living without papers to return,” he said.
Rights groups have voiced alarm over the plight of workers in the Gulf and other Arab countries, where migrant labour is regulated under a system known as “kafala”. The kafala, or sponsorship, system ties migrant workers’ visas to their employers, prohibiting workers from leaving the country or changing jobs without prior consent.
SOURCE : ARABTIMES
Trending News
-
MoI Urges Biometric Fingerprinting Compliance Ahea...
21 March 2024
-
5 Days Holiday For Eid Al-Fitr Begins On April 9th
25 March 2024
-
Over 120,000 Expat Offenders Will Benefit From Kuw...
14 March 2024
-
Kuwait Offering Amnesty To Illegal Expats
17 March 2024
-
From April 1 To July 1, Kuwait Grants Amnesty To V...
14 March 2024
-
Kuwaiti Banks Elevate Non-Resident Credit To 4.17...
18 March 2024
-
Central Bank Of Kuwait Provides Banks With New Ba...
20 March 2024
-
Banks In Kuwait Report Robust Profits Despite The...
21 March 2024
-
Kuwait's Clean Energy Journey: Progress And Challe...
23 March 2024
-
Driving Licenses With Smart Technology
25 March 2024
Comments Post Comment