Dubai prisoners say assault claims were made up

Dubai: Four prisoners accused their cell mate on Sunday of inciting inmates to complain about the behaviour of 25 jail wardens who are currently being prosecuted on charges of abusing their authority and beating inmates.

Three Emiratis and a Syrian, serving different sentences at Dubai's Central Prison, appeared as witnesses before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

They accused an Iraqi cell mate of inciting others to complain that the 25 suspects had beaten them.

The former prison director, three lieutenants and 21 policemen earlier denied abusing their powers and beating and injuring prisoners before the court.

The four witnesses testified before Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir that A.M. had incited others to complain. An Emirati witness, N.M., said: "A.M. is still inciting inmates to testify against the wardens."

A Syrian witness, Z.A., said: "A.M. is the one who asked the inmates to complain ... he asked inmates to say 'this is our chance, we should say they hit us to get better food'." The Public Prosecution charged the suspects with abusing their authority.

While carrying out a routine search of the cells they allegedly beat an Armenian inmate and left him with a ten per cent permanent disability in his spinal cord.

Defence lawyers, including Khalifa Al Salman, Amal Bakri, Kawthar Marwan, Samir Jaafar, Nabih Badr and Abdul Karim Makki also presented two doctors and a lieutenant as witnesses yesterday.

Spinal injury

The doctors, who examined the Armenian, said he had a spinal cord injury.

The prison doctor testified: "Five or six inmates brought him to me and said he fell from the stairs ... I didn't see bruises which might have been caused by injuries." Dubai police's doctor said: "I referred him for an X-ray because he had a spinal cord injury... I didn't notice bruises."

The lieutenant testified: "The prison director did not order us to use force or assault the inmates during the search for knives and drugs in the cells. Later, I was told that the Armenian had fallen from the stairs."