Kuwaiti pardons cop who killed his son

Cairo: A Kuwaiti man has said he pardoned a police officer who had killed his son during a street chase last September, saying his pardon was inspired by an amnesty recently issued by the country’s Emir for convicted ex-lawmakers.

Early September, Nashmi Musaid Al Anazi was killed by gunfire during a police chase in the governorate of Al Jahra. Media reports at the time said the officer had acted in self-defence after the victim had tried to seize his gun.

His father declared at a gathering in his house that he pardons the killer without seeking blood money.

“I won’t accept a dinar, a thousand or a million. I renounce my son’s blood for the sake of Allah,” he added.

“Since my son’s killing, I have been unable to sleep more than an hour or two. But after I pardoned the killer, I slept well,” he told Al Anba newspaper.

“Days ago, His Highness Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad issued two decrees pardoning some Kuwaitis. Pardon is a sign of generosity,” he added.

Earlier this week, Kuwait’s official gazette “Kuwait Today” published two decrees from the Emir pardoning and commuting jail terms of a total of 35 Kuwaitis.

The amnesty was long sought by the Kuwaiti opposition in the parliament to end a standoff with the government.