Zaman al-Wasl continues to highlight developments in the legal and administrative case concerning the extortion and enticement of Kuwaiti citizen Yousef Issa Saad al-Ali and the kidnapping of Dr. Khaled al-Baloushi, along with the accompanying legal dispute over the legal classification of the crimes of kidnapping for ransom and online fraud.
First: The Appeal Process Before the Court of Cassation and Details of Decision No. 553
Decision No. 553 of 2026, issued by the First Referral Judge in Rural Damascus in the 2026 case, introduced a new legal classification of the facts. It charged the defendant Malak al-Balou and her husband, Muhammad Ahmad Abdul Rahman, with the felony of online fraud, and amended the charge against the defendant Nada al-Balou to complicity in the same crime. The decision also upheld the dismissal of the case against the remaining defendants (Maryam Abdul Rahman, Fatoum Abdul Rahman, Ahmad al-Badawi, and Omar al-Khattab Omairi) regarding the kidnapping charge.
In response, the plaintiff's legal representative filed an appeal against the decision before the Second Referral Chamber of the Court of Cassation in Damascus, registered under case number 1993 of 2016. The appeal was based on several legal and documentary arguments, most notably:
• Legal Classification: The appeal argued for the application of the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 20 of 2013, asserting that deceiving the victim into believing someone had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom constitutes kidnapping for the purpose of financial extortion and terrorizing the victim, regardless of the actual existence of the kidnapped person.
• Technical Evidence: The appeal argued that excluding the CD and flash drive submitted under report number 8 dated January 8, 2026, issued by the Criminal Investigation Department, constituted a deficiency in the assessment of evidence, given that they contained audio recordings related to the events and financial transactions.
• The defendants included: The appeal challenged the decision to dismiss the case against the remaining defendants, arguing that there was evidence related to the receipt of money transfers, which, in his opinion, warranted a broader investigation and their referral to trial.
This case file remains under review by the Court of Cassation in Damascus, awaiting a legal ruling.
Second: The Administrative Process and the Official Appeal
On the administrative level, citizen Youssef Issa Saad Al-Ali submitted an official letter, number 411, on May 25, 2026, through the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait, addressed to the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic, requesting redress.
• Correspondence Process: The embassy forwarded the letter to the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Damascus, which in turn sent it to the Ministry of Interior via an official letter.
• Field Follow-up: The legal representative reported that upon contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 14, 2026, and the Ministry of Interior, no official written statements were provided. He was verbally informed by security personnel that the case had been referred to the Public Prosecutor in Damascus without receiving an official tracking number.
• Audit Results: Repeated audits of the Public Prosecutor's and Public Prosecutor's records in Damascus revealed no record of any document or transaction related to this matter, leaving the fate of the official memorandum unknown.
What Next?
Current developments indicate continued obstruction of procedures on two main tracks. The criminal case remains under review by the Court of Cassation, while the progress of Administrative Memorandum No. 411 through the relevant official channels has not been traced.
Note: Zaman al-Wasl will publish in its next report the text of the appeal submitted by Kuwaiti citizen Yousef Issa Saad Al-Ali, including his analysis and assessment of the official handling of his case.
Zaman Al Wasl
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