Dubai: Thirteen policemen were acquitted on Tuesday of torturing and beating a detainee to death and injuring two others.
The Dubai Court of First Instance cleared the 13 policemen, a lieutenant colonel, six lieutenants and six officers, of torture and extensive beatings during an interrogation which reportedly led to the death of Pakistani man B.K., and two others being injured.
However the lieutenant colonel, a second lieutenant and three officers were sentenced to a month in jail for locking up B.K. illegally.
“The court also dismissed the civil lawsuit [lodged by one of the injured detainees] and ordered him to pay court fees and Dh500 lawyers’ fees,” said a judge.
The suspects’ acquittal came after their lawyers Eisa Bin Haider and Ali Musabeh Dahi said prosecutors and a forensic doctor had provided the court with inconclusive reports.
The 13 Dubai Police officers had denied they tortured and beat suspects during interrogation, as well as forgery and other charges.
According to the verdict sheet, the court concluded that the injured suspects gave contradicting and inconsistent statements.
“One of the claimants [M.S.] said during police questioning that he was tortured and beaten. Then he contradicted his statement before prosecutors when he failed to corroborate his earlier statement. He claimed to prosecutors that he suffered memory weakness, lack of concentration and forgetfulness and could not give a statement. The court also dismissed the civil lawsuit because the suspects were not responsible for the injuries,” read the verdict sheet.
‘Groundless report’
Advocates Bin Haider and Dahi argued that the forensic doctor, who carried out an autopsy on B.K., submitted a groundless and indecisive report and his findings were insufficient.
”Prosecutors carried out an indistinct investigation… the main incident in this case was that B.K. and the injured detainees, S.H. and M.S., kidnapped a victim and killed him in Ajman. Prosecutors disregarded that fact and concentrated on the torture and purported excessive use of force. B.K. was brought from Oman and he died 20 minutes after he entered the police station. B.K. was beaten in Oman. Prosecutors also disregarded the fact B.K., S.H. and M.S. sustained injuries when they fought with the gigantic man whom they kidnapped and murdered in Ajman,” said Bin Haider.
“We strongly deny that our clients used WD-40 against M.S. We provide the court with a WD-40 substance and a users’ manual that only warns users to keep it away from sensitive parts like the eyes or the face. The claimants gave conflicting statements,” contended Dahi.
Tuesday’s judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
