Kuwait: Sentencing of Defendant Who Impersonated a Sheikh and Assaulted a Lawyer While Threatening with Inappropriate Clips

The Court of Cassation in Kuwait upheld a life imprisonment sentence for a repeat offender who impersonated a Sheikh on Instagram, assaulted a lawyer, and stole a diamond ring and more than 20,000 dinars. The defendant posed as a Sheikh on the social media platform, befriended the victim, and sought her assistance with legal consultations. He deceived the victim into believing he wanted to marry her, then assaulted her and stole her diamond ring, along with over 20,000 dinars. Additionally, he blackmailed the victim by threatening to publish inappropriate clips on social media. The complainant stated in her complaint that the defendant deceived her by impersonating a member of the ruling family and lured her, as she was a lawyer, to consult with him legally. However, she was shocked when he assaulted her and violated her, after which he led her to believe he wanted to marry her, but instead, he tricked and defrauded her, stealing her diamond ring and money.