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Death Penalty Waived for Lesbian Nurses

The brother of an Australian nurse murdered by two British nurses in Saudi Arabia has waived his right to seek the death penalty, in exchange for financial compensation. In return for his clemency, he made a deal for a 1.2 million settlement.

The case made international headlines because the strict Islamic law in Saudi Arabia would have permitted the nurses to be beheaded in public. One nurse has been sentenced to eight years in prison and 500 lashes, a punishment that angers human-rights advocates. The other is awaiting sentencing. The settlement will be split — over $720,000 to the hispital to build a day surgery center in the victim’s name, $6,000 to the victim’s mother, and about $37,000 to her brother. The rest will go to pay legal costs.

The details of the murder are still unclear, but it appears the victim was fighting with the two women over a lesbian relationship.

Sources:

AP - October 15, 1997

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