In a recent development related to the case of the Bangladeshi parliamentarian, the Court of Cassation has overturned the appeal ruling, which initially sentenced Mazen Al-Jarrah and Nawaf Al-Shelahi to 5 years in prison in a separate case branching from the main case.
The court has instead reaffirmed the previous criminal ruling, stating that they cannot be tried for money laundering. A legal source clarified that the “Court of Cassation” verdict, does not imply the innocence of the defendants, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Instead, it is based on the fact that they have already been convicted and sentenced to 7 years in the first case, making it impermissible to try them again for the same charges.
The source emphasized to Al-Qabas that the recent ruling of the Court of Cassation should not be misconstrued as a declaration of innocence for Al-Jarrah and Al-Shelahi due to the verdict in the first case, which sentenced them to 7 years in prison, they cannot face a second trial for the same offense.
Both individuals, along with other defendants, are currently serving their sentences at the Central Prison. The Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the previous ruling has now resulted in Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah and former National Assembly candidate Nawaf Al-Shelahi being sentenced to 5 years in prison. Additionally, fines amounting to one million and 360 thousand dinars have been imposed on them.
It is important to note that the Court of Cassation had previously closed the case of the Bangladeshi, sentencing him to 7 years in prison with hard labor, followed by deportation from the country.
A hefty fine of 2,710,000 was also imposed on him. The same ruling applied to Major General Mazen Al-Jarrah and Nawaf Al-Shelahi, sentencing them to 7 years in prison with hard labor, and each receiving a fine of 1,970,000 dinars.
Hassan Al-Khidr was sentenced to 7 years in prison with hard labor, and a fine of 180 thousand dinars, and was dismissed from his job.
Former deputy Salah Khorshid was given a 7-year prison sentence with hard labor and a fine of 740,000 dinars. Representative Saadoun Hammad, on the other hand, was acquitted of the charges attributed to him.