• Court of Appeals upholds death sentence for man who killed girlfriend in Rumaithiya
• Defendant tried to smuggle body in a suitcase out of Kuwait

The Kuwaiti Court of Appeals has upheld the death sentence against a man accused of killing his girlfriend in the Rumaithiya area and hiding her body inside a suitcase in an attempt to smuggle it out of the country, local media reported.

The ruling, issued under the presiding judge Abdullah Al Othman, came after amending the original charge to premeditated murder by strangulation, while maintaining the maximum penalty under the law.

During the criminal court proceedings, the public prosecution called for the harshest penalties, emphasizing that the crime constituted a severe violation of the most fundamental right — the right to life — and described the defendant as having committed a heinous act warranting just retribution.

A specialized medical committee confirmed that the defendant suffers from no mental illness. The Court of Appeals imposed, in addition to the death sentence, six years in prison for other charges, including desecrating a corpse, illegal use of a phone, drug consumption, and unlawful detention of the victim.

The victim’s heirs’ lawyer, Youssef Al Attar, confirmed that the family documented all details of the crime in their civil claim, adding that they will continue pursuing all legal measures until the sentence is executed and the heirs’ rights are fully restored.