KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9, (Agencies): Mouna Ali Hassoun, the former employer of the Filipina household worker whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait, has been convicted of murder.

In a report published Monday on new.abs-cbn.com, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines was quoted as saying that Hassoun has been in custody in Syria since last year; while her Lebanese husband, Nader Essam Assaf, is facing a murder charge in Lebanon.

Joanna Demafelis left Iloilo, Philippines, in 2014 to work as a domestic helper in Kuwait. She was reported missing in 2016 and her body was found in a freezer in 2018.

Meanwhile, a statement posted on the official website of DFA revealed that Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola has reported that the Syrian District Criminal Court found Hassoun guilty of murder, and is expected to be meted with a prison sentence ranging from eight to 15 years.

Earlier, Hassoun and her husband were tried in absentia, found guilty of murder and meted the death penalty in Kuwait. Arriola said the DFA will continue to provide legal assistance to the family until justice is served.