Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

DUBAI: Prisoners say assault claims were made up

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • DUBAI: Prisoners say assault claims were made up

    Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
    June 2 2008



    Prisoners say assault claims were made up
    By Bassam Za'za'Senior Reporter
    Published: June 01, 2008, 23:35


    Dubai: Four prisoners accused their cell mate on Sunday of inciting
    inmates to complain about the behaviour of 25 jail wardens who are
    currently being prosecuted on charges of abusing their authority and
    beating inmates.

    Three Emiratis and a Syrian, serving different sentences at Dubai's
    Central Prison, appeared as witnesses before the Dubai Court of First
    Instance.

    They accused an Iraqi cell mate of inciting others to complain that
    the 25 suspects had beaten them.

    The former prison director, three lieutenants and 21 policemen earlier
    denied abusing their powers and beating and injuring prisoners before
    the court.

    The four witnesses testified before Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir that
    A.M. had incited others to complain. An Emirati witness, N.M., said:
    "A.M. is still inciting inmates to testify against the wardens."

    A Syrian witness, Z.A., said: "A.M. is the one who asked the inmates
    to complain ... he asked inmates to say 'this is our chance, we should
    say they hit us to get better food'." The Public Prosecution charged
    the suspects with abusing their authority.

    While carrying out a routine search of the cells they allegedly beat
    an Armenian inmate and left him with a ten per cent permanent
    disability in his spinal cord.

    Defence lawyers, including Khalifa Al Salman, Amal Bakri, Kawthar
    Marwan, Samir Jaafar, Nabih Badr and Abdul Karim Makki also presented
    two doctors and a lieutenant as witnesses yesterday.

    Spinal injury

    The doctors, who examined the Armenian, said he had a spinal cord
    injury.

    The prison doctor testified: "Five or six inmates brought him to me
    and said he fell from the stairs ... I didn't see bruises which might
    have been caused by injuries." Dubai police's doctor said: "I referred
    him for an X-ray because he had a spinal cord injury... I didn't
    notice bruises."

    The lieutenant testified: "The prison director did not order us to use
    force or assault the inmates during the search for knives and drugs in
    the cells. Later, I was told that the Armenian had fallen from the
    stairs."
Working...
X