ABU DHABI // An expatriate caught with a pipe that contained traces of hashish should be rehabilitated rather than punished, a lawyer argued yesterday.
RR, 22, from India, was returning from a holiday with friends in Indonesia when customs officers found the pipe and discovered traces of the drug inside.
In court, he claimed he and his friends often shared their pipes. "Yes, it is nice to share," commented Chief Justice Dr Khairi Al Kabaash, head of the court. The defendant insisted that he must have taken the drug without his knowledge while using a friend's pipe, and that he mistakenly took one of his friend's pipes home.
"But you signed a confession," argued the chief justice. The man replied that after he was arrested he was given a statement in Arabic to sign. He said he did not understand it but signed it anyway and only later found out that it was a confession.
His lawyer, Dr Eman Al Jaberi, argued that there was no criminal intent in her client's actions. She said that he was born in the UAE to a conservative, well-educated family and graduated from a UAE university, so, therefore would not be so foolish to knowingly bring a piece of hashish into the country.
She said that given his young age and his history of good behaviour and lack of criminal record, he should be entitled to rehabilitation rather than punishment. Usually only Emirati drug offenders are sent for rehabilitation.
"The procedural code says that only locals can receive rehab and treatment.
"However, the UAE constitution says locals and expats should be treated equally, and the constitution is considered higher than the law," argued Dr Al Jaberi.
The case was adjourned until July7 so Dr Al Jaberi can seek a signed certificate from a medical facility that it will accept him for treatment. His parents will be required to pay for his treatment.
hdajani@thenational.ae
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford