Dubai: A Syrian man on Thursday said in court that he was under schizophrenia medication when he incorrectly accused seven inmates of gang-raping him inside prison.
"I am schizophrenic and take medication… on the day of the incident, I was hallucinating from the side effects of my medication. The gang-rape did not happen. None of the suspects did whatever was mentioned in the complaint. I am here to waive my complaint and rights and nothing happened and no one of the seven inmates touched me… I don't want anything from them," argued the 28-year-old Syrian, A.Z., when he gave his statement before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
When Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad confronted A.Z. with his detailed statement before the Public Prosecution, the latter spoke in choked voice: "I was unaware of what happened because as I said your honour, I suffer of schizophrenia and was under medication. All I remember was that there was a scuffle between myself and 23-year-old Emirati A.A. (one of the inmates)… but I am here to drop my complaint. I don't want anything from anyone. This couldn't have happened, I was raised with A.A. and his brother at their house and their mother raised me since I was five."
Prosecutors charged the seven inmates, six Emiratis (including A.A. and his brother) and a 25-year-old suspect of undetermined origin who has no identification documents, with gangraping A.Z. in a cell.
The forensic medical report confirmed that the claimant had been beaten and had sexual intercourse.
When the judge said in a firm voice: "What is your response to the findings of the forensic laboratory's result? Would you like me to read out loud in court?"
A.Z. spoke in a quivering voice: "I… I was in… Ajman prison…" then he stopped talking and seemed perplexed. He was spotted moving his arms behind his back and quickly shaking his right leg as well.
"After addressing this question, the court observed that the suspect is quivering and trembling in fear," said Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad when he dictated the court's secretary Essam Mohammad what to write in the hearing's minutes.
