Court suspends jail terms of wardens

Dubai: A court has suspended the jail terms, varying between 3-6 months of 25 jail wardens starting on Tuesday, who are accused of abusing their authority and beating inmates.

The Dubai Court of Appeal on Tuesday incriminated the 25 jail wardens, including a former prison director, three lieutenants and 21 policemen, for abusing their authority and beating inmates, one of whom sustained permanent disability in his back while others were injured.

Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Chennawi who pronounced the ruling suspended the imprisonment of the 25 accused within a period of three years (starting on Tuesday) on condition that the crime isn't repeated.

Defence lawyers Khalifa Al Salman and Ali Musabbeh of Salem Al Sha'ali and Co Advocates and Legal Consultants said they will seek their clients' innocence when they appeal the verdict before the Court of Cassation soon. Defence lawyers earlier argued that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses were inconsistent and baseless.

Al Salman and Musabbeh said the use of force in prison is regarded differently from its use outside.

"All the accused didn't abuse their powers or beat the prisoners but they only scared them to prevent them from getting rid of any forbidden substances such as drugs."

The Public Prosecution charged the 25 wardens with abusing their authority and beating inmates during a surprise inspection for substances prohibited in the cells.

They were charged with beating an Armenian inmate, leaving him with a permanent 10 per cent spinal disability, besides injuring others. Advocate Samir Jaafar argued: "The prosecution witness and inmates gave contradicting statements, upon which the Court of First Instance based its ruling... doctors from the prison and police's headquarters failed to confirm that the Armenian sustained his disability due to beating, meanwhile several inmates confirmed that he fell from the stairs."

Jaafar argued that the technical evidence didn't match with the verbal evidence as well.

Defence lawyers, which also included Al Salman, Musabbeh, Jaafar, Nabih Badr, Kawthar Marwan, Amal Bakri and Dr Abdul Karim Makki, defended that the wardens were searching for banned substances, such as drugs and sharp tools, in the cells and they relied on the surprise factor and scared the prisoners while taking them out of their cells "to prevent them from disposing of any forbidden stuff."

Defence lawyers earlier argued that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses were inconsistent and baseless.