Dubai: It is not strange to see a mother do what it requires to help save her son, even at the cost of embarrassing herself and exposing her emotions and fears in a public place.
That was exactly what happened inside the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday morning when an Iranian mother stepped in to defend her 22-year-old son and explain that he got the pills for her medication.
Trembling in fear and crying shyly, the mother walked through the court hall and stood before a panel of four judges to testify that she suffers from joint aches and that her son had asked his Lebanese friend to purchase the painkillers (banned pills) from Iran for her.
“I have constant pain in my joints and for that I take medical pills. My son arranged for the pills to be purchased from Iran ... the seized pills are for medical use and they were brought to me upon a prescription,” the mother told presiding judge Mohammad Jamal through the court translator.
Prosecutors accused the 21-year-old Lebanese college student and his 22-year-old Iranian collegemate of smuggling and possessing around 300 Pregabalin capsules.
Upon reading out the accusation, the Lebanese pleaded not guilty and contended that he brought the pills from Iran for his friend’s mother.
“When I was in Iran, my friend [Iranian suspect] called and asked me if I could purchase a medicine for his sick mother … I said yes and I did. I was not aware that it is a banned substance in the UAE,” said the Lebanese.
The Iranian student contended before presiding judge Jamal: “Sir I had asked my friend to purchase the pills from Iran as a medicine for my sick mother.”
When asked by the presiding judge if he has medical prescription to justify his claims, the Iranian suspect replied positively and then pointed towards his mother, who was present in the courtroom, and said: “My mother is present here and she is willing to testify that the banned pills were meant for her. It’s her medication.”
Thereafter, the suspect’s lawyer asked the presiding judge to allow the mother to step in and give her statement.
Shortly after, presiding judge Jamal signalled towards the woman asking her to come forward to speak. “I have been suffering from joint pain for nearly three years and during which I have been using those pills as medication. The joint pain has been caused by mental and psychological stress. In the past year, my doctor who is based in Iran handed me a prescription to consume those pills,” the mother told the court with tearful eyes.
The defence lawyers asked the court to grant their clients bail contending that they did not have any criminal intent.
Presiding judge Jamal adjourned the hearing until the lawyers present their defence arguments when the court reconvenes on March 5.
