Qatar's attorney general is to appeal against a court ruling to acquit several people, including a diplomat, over a shopping mall fire which left 19 dead, state media reported. Ali Bin Fetais Al-Marri is seeking a review of last month's Court of Appeal ruling, which dismissed convictions against several people over the May 2012 blaze, which killed 13 children. Many of the children suffocated after a blaze broke out at a nearby Nike sports store, caused by faulty wiring. The dead included two-year-old triplets from New Zealand, and children from France, Spain and Japan. The Qatar News Agency reported Saturday that the attorney general would present papers to the Court of Cassation seeking a review of the appeal court's decision. Four people last month contested a 2013 involuntary manslaughter conviction imposed by a criminal court. Meanwhile, Qatar's ruler will meet Cuban President Raul Castro on a visit to the communist island starting on Sunday, state-run media said. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani will hold "official talks" with Castro and "carry out other activities," the Granma newspaper said Saturday, offering few concrete details. Cuba and Qatar established diplomatic ties in 1989 and maintain relations in a number of fields, notably health care and tourism. A hospital run by Cuban doctors and other medical professionals has been operating in Qatar since 2012. Doha has shown an interest in expanding cooperation in health care with Cuba and is exploring investment opportunities on the island, media said. — Agencies
