Australian mum Nasra al-Shimmari jailed in Kuwait for insulting emir

[Aseerun]

KUWAIT'S criminal court sentenced an Australian mother of Arab origin to two years in jail for allegedly insulting the emir, her lawyer said. "I will appeal the verdict tomorrow," lawyer Falah al-Hajraf said.

"My client has denied the charge during the trial and insisted she committed no wrongdoing."

Nasra al-Shimmari, 43, was arrested at Kuwait airport in December after she allegedly insulted Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, during a quarrel between her children and husband and an airport employee.

She has been in jail since her arrest along with two of the couple's seven children. Her husband and the other five children were not allowed into the oil-rich Gulf state.

Mr Hajraf said that police has not yet pressed charges against Shimmari's two sons, in their early 20s, and "it looks as if the case is over."

The Shimmari family obtained Australian citizenship a few years ago.

Previously they lived in Kuwait among the some 100,000 bidoons, or stateless Arabs.

Bidoons have no right to work, obtain a birth certificate for their babies or even get their marriage certificate attested.

According to the Government, bidoons in Kuwait number 70,000, however rights groups place the number at 120,000.

Source

[Aseerun]

More Info;

20/04/09

A criminal court on Monday convicted an Australian woman of insulting the ruler of Kuwait and sentenced her to two years in prison, her lawyer said.

Attorney Falah al-Hajraf would not comment on the ruling before reading it in full, but he said he was immediately appealing.

In Sydney, the woman's husband implored the emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, for a pardon that would keep his family together.

Nasra Alshamery was arrested in December after arriving at Kuwait International Airport with her family on vacation. Her lawyer said a misunderstanding between family members and an airport official turned into a melee during which the woman was accused of screaming obscenities and insulting the emir.

The 43-year-old mother of seven denied the charges, and her lawyer claims witness testimony was contradictory.

"The emir is a good and respectable man," said Sulaiman Alshamery, speaking by telephone from Australia. "I beseech him to pardon her. She has kids, she has back problems, psychological problems and heart problems."

The husband insisted his wife did not insult the emir.

The constitution of this Gulf country that sits on 10 percent of the world's oil reserves says the head of state is "immune and inviolable." Public insults of him by Kuwaitis or foreigners are not tolerated.

Alshamery, as well as her husband, were born in Kuwait and emigrated to Australia in 1999. Two of Alshamery's sons were also detained in the December incident but they were later released on bail; it is not clear yet if they will face trial. The husband and the rest of the children were deported.

[Aseerun]

Family pleads for help for mum held in Kuwaiti 'hell'



Jail hell: The Al Shamery family with Nasrah Al Shamery (2nd left)

An Australian woman who has been held in a Kuwaiti jail for three months has now been charged with assaulting the oil-rich Gulf country's ruling emir.

Nasrah Al Shamery was arrested just before Christmas at Kuwait International Airport for allegedly insulting Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah during an altercation with authorities.

The charge against her is described as assaulting the prince and her case has gone to trial. And she faces up to five years in jail if found guilty.
Mrs Al Shamery, 43 has three slipped discs in her lower back, Type 2 diabetes, two pierced ear drums and breathing difficulties.

Two of her sons were also arrested during the altercation with airport officers and they must stay in Kuwait on bail.

The remaining family in Sydney is having difficulties funding the legal defence and basic essentials for the sons in Kuwait and is seeking more help from the Australian Government.

Mrs Al Shamery's husband and primary carer, Soliman Al Shamery, has been separated from his wife for three months.

Through his son, Ahmed Al Shamery, Soliman Al Shamery spoke of his loss.
"My dad says he misses her a lot," Ahmed Al Shamery said.

"He just can't enter the house without her. He can't see her there. Basically she would do everything for the house, everything.

"He can't even sleep, he's always holding the phone and calling my brothers and trying to get help from everybody."

Airport dispute

Mr Al Shamery, a former Kuwaiti air traffic controller, emigrated to Australia 10 years ago to give his children a better life.
But the holiday altercation at Kuwait airport on December 23 has torn the family apart.

The airport dispute started when the youngest Al Shamery son, Mohammed, asked for directions and was yelled at by a guard.
Mr Al Shamery intervened and was knocked to the ground.
The resulting altercation between the family and nearby guards is before the Kuwaiti court system, but it is alleged Mrs Al Shamery insulted Kuwait's ruling emir.

The Al Shamerys' Australian lawyer, Mark Williams, says she denies the allegation.

"As it has been described to me it is an assault upon the Emir and I think the particulars of that are in fact an insult upon the emir and the insult involves a poem she recited," he said.

Two of the Al Shamery sons, Abdulazziz and Abdelrahman, were also arrested for allegedly assaulting government officials at the airport. They remain in Kuwait on bail.

'Going through hell'

Ahmed Al Shamery says the family in Sydney has only spoken to their mother a few times over the phone since the arrest.

"You come home [to Australia] and half of your family is missing so you don't want to go home, it does not feel right," he said.

"She is going through hell. Every time she is call us she is crying, she is asking for help."

It is not any easier for those in Sydney; they have had to sell cars and the children have taken on extra jobs to pay for legal expenses and the sons' living expenses in Kuwait.

Lawyer Mark Williams, who also teaches the Al Shamery sons soccer, says it has been especially tough on the youngest children.

"Two boys are having difficulties at school I think as a result of this. They are not boys to be bullied but certainly they have been made fun of at school and that has caused them grief at school," he said.

"I think one of them was suspended because some comments were made about his parents and he felt he was put in a position to defend himself and his family.

"The most surprising thing I find is that this is a lovely family, a lovely respectful family; they go to Kuwait and the antithesis of what I see about them has occurred."

Calls for action

Mrs Al Shamery had early visits in jail by the Australian Ambassador to Kuwait and consular officials have attended every court appearance.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says it has ensured she has had access to legal and medical help and it is also assisting the sons while they await their court appearances.

The Department says the Government has a high level of interest in the case but Ahmed Al Shamery says the family wants more action.

"Us Aussies, if we get any problems overseas, no-one will help us, no government will turn around and help us," he said.

But the Australian Government says it can never promise to help or bail out overseas travellers in trouble.

"But my Mum, she got blamed for nothing. They made up something that started with my Dad and they took Mum," Ahmed Al Shamery says.

The Al Shamerys are also pleading with Kuwait's emir to intervene in the case and set their family members free.

[justabro]

May Allah ease their affairs very soon.

These Kuwaiti monkeys will find out just how "immune and inviolable" they are on Yawm al-Qiyama.

[nomad]

makes you sick

[Hibiscus]

I've just come back from Umrah and I have to say the people at the airports in Saudi (Jeddah and Madinah) are so rude (even to people clearly in ihram). The way they speak to you like you're something stuck to the sole of their shoe. Its like they are trying to aggrevate you, like they are looking for trouble. I just thank Allah my brother kept quiet in the face of the rude behaviour, otherwise I hate to think where altercations lead to. Nobody in England could get away with speaking to you like they way do in Saudi and other countries.

[Aseerun]

May Allah ease their affairs very soon.

These Kuwaiti monkeys will find out just how "immune and inviolable" they are on Yawm al-Qiyama.

ameen thumma ameen. Indeed they will.

Ms Alshamery (her daughter) said when her mother threatened to seek diplomatic assistance, the security officers laughed and proceeded to insult Australian women, the Australian Government and the nation's soccer team.

"(A guard) threw her passport on the ground and he stepped on it and he goes, `Who's going to help you now? The emu or the kangaroo?'" she said.

Allaah will help her that's for sure! As for him - he can try the emus or the kangaroos as Allaah does not help the wrongdoers!

[justabro]

Previously they lived in Kuwait among the some 100,000 bidoons, or stateless Arabs.

Bidoons have no right to work, obtain a birth certificate for their babies or even get their marriage certificate attested.

According to the Government, bidoons in Kuwait number 70,000, however rights groups place the number at 120,000.

This is particularly despicable. Brothers I know who lived or grew up in Kuwait have told me that the indigenous Bedouins have virtually no rights.

[Aseerun]

Al-hamdulillaahi hamdan hamda!

'Mum's free': Family celebrates Kuwait jail release

12th of June '09

The family of an Australian woman jailed for the past five-and-a-half months in Kuwait is celebrating after a surprise decision by Kuwaiti authorities to deport her.

Nasrah Al Shamery, 44, was sentenced in April to two years' jail for assaulting the ruling Emir of Kuwait.

The charge stemmed from an alleged insult against the Emir after arriving at Kuwait International Airport with her family on holiday.

Mrs Al Shamery always maintained her innocence and there was an appeal last week, but the reason for the sudden deportation is not clear.

Mrs Al Shamery is due back in Australia at the weekend.

Her family, who live in Sydney, hoped she would be deported but were not expecting it.

One of Mrs Al Shamery's seven children, Ahmad Al Shamery, says he did not expect this decision.

"They said 'mum's free' and in a couple of days she will be here," he said.
Ahmad says his family and the lawyers attempted to appeal the jail sentence, but they had little confidence in the system.

He says at this stage no-one know actually knows why she is being released.

Family friend and lawyer Mark Williams is trying to find out more.

"What I infer from that is that she has probably been deported from that country but they are not quite sure whether the conviction has been overturned or anything like that," he said.

But the joy of the imminent return is tempered by a massive legal bill and concern for Mrs Al Shamery's health.

Ill with diabetes, hearing, heart, breathing and back problems before she went to prison, her health deteriorated further in jail to the point where she could not walk.

"I understand she is in a wheelchair right now and she is suffering ... a few pains but you know that doesn't matter as long as we got her back," Ahmad said.

"We will have to look after her."

Ahmad has vowed never to go back to Kuwait.

"This is my country. I am going to stay here," he said.

Mrs Al Shamery and her husband were born in Kuwait and emigrated to Australia in 1999.

[justabro]

Alhamdulillah, a happy ending of this disgraceful episode.

May Allah bless this family and take away their troubles.