An Ethiopian woman was among 7 people executed by hanging in Kuwait on Wednesday, November 16. It is said the majority of executions in Kuwait are primarily on drug trafficking and murder cases.
According to Kuwait’s public prosecution service, those put to death were 2 women from Ethiopia and Syria, and 5 men including 3 Kuwaitis, a Syrian, and a Pakistani.
Amnesty International the civil society organization which has been campaigning for the global end to the death penalty has urged the Gulf country to impose a moratorium on executions.
The mass execution also drew criticism from, among others, the office of the Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal who condemned the government of Kuwait. “The death penalty deserves firm opposition under all circumstances. Portugal is committed to ensuring the universal abolition of such cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment,” said the representative in a tweet. The European Commission said Kuwait‘s envoy to the EU in Brussels had been summoned to discuss
The United Nations Human Rights Commission denounced the executions on Friday saying, “The execution of seven people this week is a disturbing & deeply regrettable step backward. We call on authorities to halt all executions & immediately establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.”
