Dubai: A prisoner has been accused of beating his cellmate, then forcibly removing his clothes and raping him at Dubai Central Jail.

The 20-year-old Emirati prisoner, M.M., was said to have beaten his countryman cellmate and used physical violence to rape him after the latter refused to have consensual sex with him in June.

Prosecutors charged M.M. with using force while raping the 20-year-old claimant.

The prisoner denied his accusation when he entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

“You did not have sex with him at all?” presiding judge Mohammad Jamal asked the defendant.

“I did not rape him … it was consensual sex and not rape as he alleged. I have defence witnesses who can counter his allegations and confirm that it was consensual,” M.M replied in courtroom three.

The 20-year-old cellmate testified to prosecutors that he used to be friends with the defendant until the assault happened.

“I knew him before prison as we lived in the same neighbourhood in Al Mizher. We became close friends since we met inside prison and we shared the same cell. We chatted daily and about different issues. One day he came to me and said that I had once raped his relative. I denied this and told him to call his relative and ask him … but he never did. I had a feeling that he fabricated that lie out of ill intentions. On June 7, he walked into the cell around 9.30pm and suddenly told me ‘I want to have sex with you’. I refused firmly. He slapped me and asked me again … I persistently told him that he would not have sex with me. He got angry and punched me twice … he threw me down on the bed and raped me. I was afraid of the defendant and that he might hurt me, so I informed the prison management about what happened the next morning. I waited until M.M. and others went for breakfast before I reported the rape to the management,” claimed the cellmate.

When the defendant was asked about what he required from the court, M.M. said: “I do not know why prosecutors did not hear other witnesses besides the claimant. I want the court to hear the defence witnesses.”

However, presiding judge Jamal said the ruling will be heard on October 28.