Dubai:  A court acquitted six inmates of gang raping a prisoner and sentenced a seventh inmate after the jury yesterday found him guilty of having consensual sex with the prisoner who earlier waived his complaint.

The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced 23-year-old Emirati inmate AA to one year in jail after the jury found him guilty of having sex with 28-year-old Syrian prisoner A.Z.

Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad also acquitted six of the suspects, five Emiratis and a 25-year-old suspect who has no identification documents, of raping A.Z. in a cell in Dubai Central Prison.

"That is absolutely untrue. I am not guilty. I didn't force him to have sex with me unwillingly. It happened consensually, your honour," argued AA when he defended himself in court earlier.

"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 none of the seven inmates touched me ... I don't want anything from them," said AZ when he appeared in court last month to waive his complaint.

When Presiding Judge Abdul Jawad confronted AZ with his detailed statement before the prosecutors, the claimant said: "I was unaware of what happened because I was under medication. All I remember was that there was a scuffle between myself and AA ... but I am here to drop my complaint. I don't want anything from anyone."

Forensic report

The forensic medical report confirmed that the claimant had been beaten and had sexual intercourse. According to the arraignment sheet, the defendants assaulted the Syrian and raped him after tying rope around his neck and immobilising him.

The suspects pleaded innocent. One of the defendants, 18-year-old HA, claimed that he was sleeping when the incident occurred.

Prior to waiving his complaint, AZ had earlier testified: "They woke me up and asked me to go to another cell ... there they asked me to undress, and they beat me when I refused."

"They battered me with a stick and stubbed out a cigarette on my private parts. Then they ganged up around me. Some of them tied a rope around my neck ... then they had sex with me against my will, separately."

On Monday's judgment is still subject to appeal within 15 days.