18 year hard labor for murderer of Manal Assi

The Criminal Court of Cassation under Judge Suheir Harakeh sentenced yesterday the husband and killer of Manal Assi to a mitigated 18-year imprisonment with hard labor, according to Article 549 of the Penal Code. The final verdict comes three years after the death in 2014 of Manal Assi. To recall, Harakeh has repudiated the ruling of Beirut Criminal Court to mitigate the death penalty to a 5-year prison sentence. The ruling, which is unprecedented after the widespread phenomenon of domestic violence that left many women dead, was based on the report of the forensic pathologist which clearly determined that the victim has been brutally beaten and tortured from head to toe leading to her death. The lawyer at Kafa organization, Leila Awada, lauded the ruling, hoping it will send a message to the courts dealing with similar cases, especially that the criminal court of cassation is a supreme court and its jurisdiction is expended, which helps tighten penalties in trials. Awada hoped this ruling would introduce a new approach on how to deal with similar cases while rejecting any excuses of mitigation. She demanded a shorter period before the pronouncement of the sentence because, as she put it, deterrence calls for harsh, swift and fair punishment. (Al Mustaqbal, November 3, 2017)
 
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