Kuwait court upholds death sentence for man who ran over wife in desert

Kuwait’s Court of Appeals has maintained a death sentence for a Kuwaiti man convicted of intentionally killing his wife in the Mutlaa desert during Eid Al Fitr, local reports indicate. According to court documents, the man lured his wife to a secluded area in Mutlaa and ran her over on March 30, 2025, the first day of the holiday.

In addition to premeditated murder, prosecutors also accused him of kidnapping by deception and possessing psychotropic substances for personal use. The defendant had allegedly physically abused his wife in the Mutlaa desert as Ramadan ended, causing her to leave their home and stay with relatives. He later convinced her to return and claimed to have a surprise for her on Eid, before taking her to the desert where the fatal incident took place.

The victim was survived by four children, including an infant, according to the court. Initially, the Criminal Court sentenced him to death, but in May, the Court of Appeals ordered a psychiatric evaluation to assess his mental state and criminal responsibility during the offense. The subsequent report found he was aware of his actions and had feigned illness for personal gain, providing no grounds to reduce his sentence. The appeals court upheld the death penalty.