A Helsinki court has sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment for murder. Thaer Manaf Said Al Daraji killed his former wife in a particularly brutal manner last December.
The Court of Appeal did not change the original sentence given by the District Court earlier this year. Al Daraji burned his defenseless ex-wife to death in what authorities described as an honor killing motivated by jealousy.
He could not accept that their marriage had ended or that the woman had found a new partner. The victim had feared for her life in the weeks before her death.
Al Daraji returned to Finland from Iraq without telling his ex-wife. He disguised himself as a food delivery driver and waited near her home.
He confronted the mother of three in a parking lot as she left for grocery shopping. Al Daraji forced her into a car using violence.
In a remote area, he tied the woman's hands and feet. He then moved her to the footwell of the car's back seat.
The attacker poured gasoline over her body and set her on fire. The woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning and severe burns.
Her body was discovered in the car two days later. The couple's eldest child, then just 12 years old, told police she suspected her father was involved in her mother's disappearance.
Authorities took the daughter's statement seriously. They arrested Al Daraji before the victim's body was even found.
The District Court had previously sentenced him to life imprisonment in June. The court also ordered him to pay compensation to his three children.
The eldest child received 30,000 euros while the two younger children each got 20,000 euros for their suffering.
Al Daraji appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal. He demanded that the charges be dismissed or, alternatively, that he be convicted of manslaughter instead of murder.
Two of the children requested increased compensation of 60,000 euros each. The Court of Appeal saw no reason to change any aspect of the original sentence or compensation amounts.
The case may still be appealed to the Supreme Court of Finland. This tragic case highlights the severe consequences of domestic violence and honor-based violence in Nordic countries.
Finland has strengthened its laws against honor crimes in recent years, but this case shows more work remains to protect vulnerable individuals from such brutal attacks.