UAE | Crime
One of those beaten found dead in prison
Police are investigating the death of a prisoner (on June 26) who was among 12 claimants who have lodged civil compensation claims against 25 jail wardens who were jailed on Sunday for abusing authority and beating inmates.
- By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:41 June 29, 2008
Dubai: Police are investigating the death of a prisoner (on June 26) who was among 12 claimants who have lodged civil compensation claims against 25 jail wardens who were jailed on Sunday for abusing authority and beating inmates.
The body of Afghan prisoner, Mohammad Y.B., has been sent to Dubai police for an autopsy to ascertain the real cause of death, Gulf News learnt yesterday.
Mohammad Y.B. and 11 other inmates at the Dubai Central Prison have claimed Dh20,100 in temporary compensation in their civil lawsuit, which the Dubai Court of First Instance referred to the Civil Court yesterday.
The four-judge panel including Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir, Dr Ali Al Galadari, Mansour Al Awadi and Omar Karmastaji, sentenced seven of the jail wardens, including the former prison director and his assistant, a lieutenant, to six months in jail each.
The Court also sentenced 18 other wardens, including two lieutenants, to three months in jail each. The initial verdict is still subject to appeal. According to the details of the verdict, seven inmates sustained permanent disabilities, body injuries and were abused... "this is why the judges' panel decided to refer the civil lawsuit to the Civil Court," Presiding Judge Mounir explained to Gulf News.
The inmates' legal representative in civil rights Abdul Hamid Al Kumity said in his civil suit: "The suspects intended to abuse the claimants verbally and physically, they were even belittled and humiliated inside prison... some of them sustained permanent disabilities and others suffered body injuries. They have incurred moral, emotional and physical damages against which they are claiming temporary compensation. What they have been subject to defies local and international conventions on human rights."
Appeal against verdict
Al Kumity yesterday handed the court an addition to the civil lawsuit saying: "Mohammad Y.B. passed away on Thursday... the investigation continues until it decides what caused his death. We request the court to permit us to hand his death certificate and allow his family to pursue this civil lawsuit."
Defence lawyers Khalifa Al Salman, Ali Mussabih Dahi, Samir Jaafar, Nabih Badr, Dr Abdul Karim Makki, Kawthar Marwan and Amal Bakri will appeal the initial verdict soon. The former prison director, three lieutenants and 21 policemen pleaded not guilty and denied abusing their powers, beating and injuring prisoners before the court.
The Public Prosecution charged five of the suspects with abusing the authority granted to them as jail wardens and while carrying out a routine search of the cells they beat an Armenian inmate (who was imprisoned when the incident happened in August 2007) and left him with a 10 per cent permanent disability in his spinal cord.
The defendants, excluding the former director, were all charged with injuring the inmates when they used excess force against them. The Public Prosecution also charged the director and one of the lieutenants (who supervised the search) with provoking the rest.
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