An opposition politician in Kuwait was sentenced to seven years in jail in absentia by a Kuwaiti court on January 28 for failing to inform his wife that he had ended their marriage in 2017 while continuing to have sexual relations with her, reported AFP.
Waleed al-Tabtabai, who was handed down a 42-month jail term in July in another case for storming parliament, is currently outside the country.
The appeals court clarified that the verdict was not political after ruling out that the court decision in 2018, finding him guilty of adultery, must be upheld.
The wife’s lawyer said Tabtabai “tricked” her into having sex with her despite divorcing her without her knowledge.
The divorce was revealed when the wife filed a lawsuit against his husband for not financially supporting her and their child.
“My client received justice after she was taken advantage of and tricked into something that criminalizes her under sharia (Islamic) law,” AFP quoted Naser al-Otaibi as saying.
“Evidence was brought forward that they continued a marital relationship during the time they were divorced, including an exchange of intimate pictures via WhatsApp,” he added.
