October 22, 2026
Nearly nine years after it occurred, the double crime case that shook the town of Doha Aramoun returned to the forefront of the judicial arena, following the issuance of a ruling by the Mount Lebanon Criminal Court, headed by Judge Zalfa Al-Hassan, imposing the death penalty against the victim’s nephew, “Haider A.,” and his accomplice, “Ali H.”
The events of the crime date back to January 9, 2017, when the deceased, “Nimra A.,” welcomed her nephew, “Haider,” at her home. As soon as I went to the kitchen to prepare coffee, I began to detail the bloody plan that the young man had hatched, driven by debts he had accumulated amounting to $10,000, and his knowledge of the presence of money and jewelry in his aunt’s possession.
Details of the investigations and ruling showed that “Haider” sought the help of his friend “Ali H” to carry out his crime. He left the door of the house ajar so that his partner could enter later. Immediately after the victim offered the coffee, “Ali” attacked her with a headbutt with an iron fist, while her nephew strangled her, handcuffed her, and closed her mouth with duct tape. After seizing the jewelry and money from the bedroom, and when it became clear that the victim was still alive, Ali slaughtered her with a piece of a broken coffee cup, under the guidance and instigation of her nephew, who stood watching the scene until she died.
The forensic evidence conclusively surrounded the accused; Laboratory analyzes confirmed the presence of DNA fingerprints belonging to “Haider” under the victim’s fingernails, on the plastic band, and on the door handle. Surveillance cameras also documented the movement of the car used, and technical examinations of his phone showed that he contacted his father to request that the calls be erased, in addition to selling the stolen jewelry and paying part of his debts, while “Ali” shared a financial share amounting to 400 thousand Lebanese pounds and 140 euros.
Before the court, the defendants’ statements were conflicting. “Ali” denied his participation in the killing, claiming that it was limited to receiving blood-stained clothes, while “Haider” admitted to planning the theft, claiming that he did not know the details of the slaughter. However, the court relied on the totality of the evidence and confessions to confirm their involvement in prior planning of murder and robbery motivated by brutality.
Accordingly, the court ruled that they were criminalized as a felony under Article 549 (first paragraph, clauses 2 and 4) of the Penal Code, with a death sentence, in addition to life imprisonment with hard labor based on Articles 639 and 640, provided that the most severe penalty, which is death, is to be implemented, while obliging them to jointly and severally pay compensation in the amount of 100,000 US dollars to the affected party.
