Dubai: A Ukrainian woman, who is currently serving a life sentence for killing a prostitute in 1999, is seeking an early release to attend her daughter’s wedding.
In 1999, the Ukrainian was 28 years when she indulged in a sexual affair with a 21-year-old Yemeni policeman before they lured the Russian prostitute to a flat where they killed her, stuffed her body in a bag, tossed the bag from the balcony and kept it beside a waste dump.
In July 2000, the Dubai Cassation Court confirmed the life sentence against the Yemeni defendant and his Ukrainian accomplice after they were found guilty of premeditated murder associated with theft [prostitute’s belongings], disposing of a corpse, having consensual sex and drinking liquor.
“I left my child at the age of five and came to Dubai to earn a living … now she is 24 and I was not present and could not see her at school and when she graduated from college. I was not there to feed her, dress her and raise her up. She is about to get married while I’ve been in prison for 18 years now. All I am asking for is to have mercy on me and grant me an early release to be able to attend my daughter’s wedding and spend the rest of my life beside her,” the Ukrainian petitioner told the Dubai Court of First Instance in her written plea.
The two convicts lodged their pleas for a pardon and an early release before the Court of First Instance after having completed more than 15 years behind bars at the Dubai Central Jail.
The incident happened on February 8, 1999, and the couple were apprehended the next day.
Records said the duo based their petitions on Article 1/45 of the Federal Law No. 43 of 1992, concerning regulating punitive and correctional establishments. The law stipulates that a convict who has completed 15 years of a life sentence is entitled to file a special petition to be released from jail.
The petitioners obtained good behaviour certificates, according to records, and recommendations for their release issued by the management of Dubai Central Jail.
Court records said the couple were involved in a sexual affair before they lured the Russian prostitute to a flat in Al Rifaa area. Then they battered her head with a wooden stick and asphyxiated her with a piece of cloth.
Once they made sure that she had stopped breathing, they wrapped the cloth around her neck, put her body in a huge plastic bag that they had brought for the purpose and threw it from the balcony.
Then they went down, dragged the body bag, kept it beside a waste dump and absconded after they stole her belongings.
In her written petition, the Ukrainian petitioner mentioned: “My daughter has been deprived of the love of her parents for 18 years. She has suffered a lot since I was imprisoned … I have lost everything in my life and I do not want the same to happen to her. I haven’t lost hope and still believe in God’s mercy. I ask you in the name of God to have mercy on us … I wholeheartedly beseech you to be humane and compassionate with her since I was the one who tormented her with my recklessness. I beg you to pardon me and allow me to be with her on her wedding day … she is waiting for me impatiently.”
Meanwhile, the Yemeni convict also provided the court with a written plea, in which he asked to be pardoned so he could be reunited with his family and sick mother.
A ruling will be heard on July 18.
