UAE's Al Reem Island killer gets death penalty

Abu Dhabi: The death sentence has been given to Ala’a Al Hashemi, who was found guilty of killing kindergarten teacher, Ibolya Ryan, last year, the Federal Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

The 37-year-old American teacher is survived by her ex-husband and three children. The crime took place in the women’s rest room of the Boutik Mall on Al Reem Island on December 1, 2014.

The murder weapon, a large kitchen knife, was left behind along with trails of blood on the site. Two women, who were in the bathroom during the time of the murder, later told the court that they heard the victim’s screams and saw the suspect, who had concealed her identity using a niqab (face covering), a shayla (headscarf) and an abaya (national clothing).

Authorities condemned her use of the Emirati national dress to commit the murder. However, her attire meant that witnesses were unable to positively identify Ala’a as the killer in court.

Hours after the crime, the niqab-clad woman was seen entering the Khalidiya area’s Ali and Sons building carrying a suitcase. Shortly after, the son of an Egyptian-American doctor was leaving his home to perform Maghrib prayer when he noticed a foreign-looking object placed near the entrance of his apartment.

Technical glitch

Upon informing his mother, who called her husband, a bomb squad was sent to dismantle what appeared to be a primitive bomb that failed to explode due to a technical glitch.

Later in court, the Egyptian-American doctor said that he immediately went home after receiving the phone call from his wife who had sent him pictures of the object [outside their apartment].

The wife had also informed her husband that two weeks before this incident, a woman wearing an abaya and niqab had visited their home and inquired whether an American woman was living in the building. She was later escorted outside by security who had failed to reveal her identity.  

Within four days of the crime, Lt Gen Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, held an unprecedented press conference in the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters where he announced that a suspect had been arrested.

A video portraying the ambush and eventual arrest of Ala’a in her Shakhbout City (formerly known as Khalifa City B) home also showcased an array of nails, chemicals and other items reportedly used in manufacturing the home-made bomb.

The video also revealed a set of what appeared to be bloodied fingerprints on her vehicle’s steering wheel.

Further investigation into Ala’a’s background unearthed a history of accessing online forums that promote extremist and terrorist ideologies which she is believed to have participated in.

Medical report

According to a statement released by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Ala’a had been listening to lectures by Al Qaida leaders Osama Bin Laden and Abu Musab Al Zarqawi before committing the crime.

In court Ala’a claimed that she had been suffering from hallucinations since childhood and the Federal Supreme Court decided to appoint a medical committee to examine her mental state of mind.

Although the report concluded that Ala’a was, in fact, responsible for her actions during the time of the murder, her lawyer argued that his client had been suffering from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses as detailed in the assessment.
Her lawyer’s request for a second examination to be performed by another medical committee was denied by presiding judge Falah Al Hajeri.