On October 21, the Public Prosecutor asked that all...

On October 21, the Public Prosecutor asked that all 119 defendants implicated in the coup d'état in 1996 against the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, be beheaded. The principal defendant is Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, a cousin of the Emir and former Finance Minister and chief of police. The Sheik was arrested on July 24 in Doha, where he had been in exile for 4 years since the present Emir ousted his father Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani in a bloody coup while he was abroad, in June 1995. It is widely believed in Qatar that the counter coup was masterminded by the formerly ousted elderly emir in an attempt to regain power. The 119 defendants, who could face beheading, did not seem overly worried because the new Emir has often shown clemency to his political opponents. Only 20 of the accused are presently incarcerated, while 37 are being tried in absentia, and all the others are out on bail. The sentence was due to be handed down on December 21.