QATAR: COURT HANDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR ‘MANHOLE MURDER’

a man was sentenced to death by firing squad for the “premeditated murder” of a Pakistani compatriot in Doha, Qatar, on January 15, 2007. According to court papers, the defendant killed the man by tying him up and throwing him into a sewage manhole. The body was discovered more than two months later. In accordance with the law, the victim’s family rejected an offer of blood money and demanded the death penalty. The court was told that the defendant, a 26 year old mechanic, asked the victim to take him to hospital. On route, the defendant claimed he was threatened with sexual assault. The day after the murder, the defendant allegedly stole the victim’s mobile.