Two or more people have been detained by police following the murder of a Qatari national, the Ministry of Interior has said.
The killing took place in northern Qatar and news of it went viral on Whatsapp this week. The arrest was announced on Twitter last night:
The competent authorities arrest the perpetrators of a citizen's murder in Al Khor today, and take further procedures in this regard.
— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) March 30, 2017
But no further information about the nature of the crime or when it happened was made available.
Violent crimes such as murder are relatively rare in Qatar, and announcements about arrests like these are few and far between.
However, as the population grows, crimes have also increased, government figures showed in 2012.
That said, last year, officials announced that the number of reported violent crimes has actually fallen almost 50 percent in recent years.
Still, this could also be due to underreporting of such incidences, analysts argue.
Transparency
On Twitter, residents reacted to the MOI’s announcement by expressing their condolences to the victim and their relatives.
Some also urged authorities to maintain a transparent investigation and provide regular updates.
Info on the murder please!?
— Adrian (@Fireqp1) March 30, 2017
Meanwhile, others commended the MOI for not offering any identifying details, saying it goes against the law to do so.
بما انه ممنوع نشر الأخبار بالأسماء ممنوع ويعاقب عليه القانون لابد من معاقبة اللي نشر الخبر
— الدكتوره . نون الشمري (@nalshamari80) March 30, 2017
Translation: Publishing names in the news is prohibited and punishable by law. Those who do so should be punished.
The case is now presumably with the attorney general’s office.
Thoughts?
