A former Concordia University student faces public beheading in Saudi Arabia after he was convicted of murder.
Mohammed Kohail was convicted of killing 19-year-old Munzeer Hiraki during a schoolyard brawl January 2007, and has already exhausted his appeals. He has told the Globe and Mail that he is innocent.
Kohail’s younger brother, 17-year-old Sultan, was also convicted in youth court. This week, prosecutors argued the younger Kohail should face the same sentence.
Kohail, who is of Palestinian descent, lived in Saudi Arabia for 16 years before moving to Montréal in 2000 with his family. In 2005, the Kohails became Canadian citizens. The family traveled back to Jeddah for a relative’s wedding.
Lisa Monette, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said Canada will continue to pursue all avenues for Kohail’s case. Monette did not specify the government’s actions.
