SHARJAH // Seventeen Indians whose death sentences for killing a Pakistani man were overturned will not pay compensation to the victim's family for a crime they say they did not commit, their lawyers said yesterday.
"The men's families are arguing that paying the blood money would mean they accepted their guilt," said Mohammed Salman al Marzouqi, spokesman for the four lawyers on the defence team. "They don't want to accept guilt for a crime that they did not do."
"We have all decided that we are not paying any blood money," said Navikran Singh, the chairman of Lawyers for Human Rights International, an Indian organisation that has been active in the case.
"Our lawyers are capable of proving the innocence of their clients and that is exactly what we want to do."
“I know my brother is innocent and there is no point in paying the blood money,” said Arjinder Singh, a Dubai resident whose brother is one of the 17. “I want the court to find those who are guilty to pay, but not my brother.”
The men, 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana, were sentenced to death in March after being convicted of beating Misri Nazir Khan to death and injuring three others during a fight over bootleg alcohol in the Saaja industrial area of Sharjah in January 2009.
Police said about 50 people were arrested in connection with the incident, but after interrogations only 17 were charged.
At the Sharjah Court of Appeals last Thursday, Judge Abdullah Yousef al Shamsi criticised the lack of prosecution evidence. After the victim’s family agreed to accept financial compensation, the judge overturned the death sentences.
Representatives of the 17 men’s families met officials from the Indian Consulate General in Dubai yesterday and decided that they should pursue the case to the end, Mr al Marzouqi said. The defence team will submit a rejection of the financial settlement proposal to the court, and wait to hear from the judge as to how the case should proceed, he said.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 17.
ykakande@thenational.ae
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Results
Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.
Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).
Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.
Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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