N.O.R.F Posted March 31, 2011 The mother of a murder victim broke down in a Dubai court and demanded “is this justice?” as her son’s killers were jailed for just seven years. The dramatic scenes unfolded at Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday as the two Somali men were sentenced for premeditated murder. Prosecutors had asked for the death sentence in the case, where the men stabbed a friend with a broken bottle in a row over a stolen phone. However, Judge Fahmi Monier handed down the prison sentence instead, which sparked the mother’s outburst. “Is this justice?” she yelled through her tears. “There is no justice except that of God. Why not death, my son is gone, he is gone, and all they get is seven years. Is this Dubai Justice?” Policewomen surrounded the mother and asked her to keep quiet as she became hysterical. She was eventually escorted out of the courtroom. Under UAE law, the charge of murder can result in the death sentence. But the judge said he had decided on seven years after considering all the circumstances of the case, although he did not elaborate. The court had earlier heard that the defendants, also Somali, and aged 24 and 26, got into a fight with the victim in the Naif area. The defendants claimed the victim had stolen a mobile phone in Ajman by using one of their IDs, which resulted in the police arresting the innocent man. “They said that they were drinking in a flat when they insulted the victim and fought with him. He escaped but they chased him,” a police officer said. The defendants had denied murder and are expected to appeal. Dubai Public Prosecution has also said that it will ask the appeal court to increase the sentence. ali.shouk@7days.ae Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted March 31, 2011 There is a hadith that repeats three times against anger. Here anger led to the death of another human being. Don't see how this is pre-mediated - in any case should 2 people be killed for something that happened in the heat of the moment. The judge should have given them a longer sentence. Samir iyo eeman to the family. Though the mom strikes me as a bit starry-eyed regarding her son. If he wasn't such a punk he'd probably be alive today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valenteenah. Posted March 31, 2011 C'mon, chasing someone down and killing them over a stolen ID/phone deserves more than 7 years. Double that is even too little. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted March 31, 2011 ^I think 15 years would be more appropriate. But it's all arbitrary. What is acheived anyway by increasing the sentence? Is another 10 years going to cause the criminal to do more soul searching, 'pay' for his crime, what? I've never been a fan of long prison terms. It seems pointless. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abu-Salman Posted March 31, 2011 The real crime here is the soft approach to alcohol, would they have killed him, what is more in such way, if sober? Just the other night accross the road, a visibly drunk man was beating the head of another on the pavement like there was no tomorrow, inciting even car drivers to intervene. The point is that most "criminals" are in fact the prime victims themselves (genes seems to predispose to immediate gratification, poor self-control, and other tendencies etc); of course, the real crime is the wider societal laxism and inequity that catalyse rather than control everyday tragedies (eg the US culture of entertainment, "freedoms" and other distractions the financial elite throw to the rest, while black children grow out of the wedlock and the prisons are a whole industry)... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacpher Posted March 31, 2011 ElPunto;707800 wrote: ^I think 15 years would be more appropriate. But it's all arbitrary. What is acheived anyway by increasing the sentence? Is another 10 years going to cause the criminal to do more soul searching, 'pay' for his crime, what? I've never been a fan of long prison terms. It seems pointless. I ain't pointless in the eyes of the law. It's the oldest law in the books, eye for an eye. It's what keeps the peace and deters crime. If the court sucessfully proved beyond reasonable doubt and found them guilty, they should face the ultimate fate. The mother is right. 7 years is a joke, not justice. Capital punishment is what the mother was seeking and if the system found them guilty of murder, why seven years only? You can't be for justice and deviate from justice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted March 31, 2011 ^Didn't know there was that contradiction. Maybe they have different degrees of murder. This seems to me a crime of passion so to speak. I'm not for the death penalty in that case. Islam also makes allowances for accidents and the like. If this was a crime with malice aforethought - I don't have any problems with the death penaltly. 7 years is not a joke but ultimately no one can give you real justice only Allah. So I'm not sure what the outrage is going to accomplish. The same with giving them 50 years as opposed to 20 years or some such figure. Abu - even if alchohol wasn't involved the prime cause of this crime was anger/revenge. You can't legislate that away. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Posted March 31, 2011 ^They insulted him and fought - he ran away, they chased him..erm, their intention was to harm him, so that is premeditated murder case. 7yrs is too leanient, life would have been sufficient. ps.Elpunto it seems like your justifying what they did - why assume the victim was a punk? even so, he didnt deserve to be chased, beaten to death. The Mother's wailing comes from somewhere you perhaps have no understanding of - it makes no different to a mother if their child is a saint or devil - regardless they will moan its loss. A mobile phone isnt worth a man's life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blessed Posted April 1, 2011 ^He didn't only steal the mobile phone, he got another man jailed for his crime. Illahay danbigiisa ha dhaafo. I'm surprised they're not doing more time due to the involvement of alcohol or perhaps being under influence worked in their favour. 7 years + blood money + deportation doesn't seem outrageous to me in this case. IMHO. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Complete Posted April 1, 2011 Aniga I'm old school. If it were all up to me, I wouldn't even consider seven years. The only proper punishment for murder is death unless the family of the murdered agrees to receiving blood money from the murderer(s). A life for a life is a fair rule dont'cha think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taleexi Posted April 1, 2011 Considering the incident's face value, they deserve to be killed unless otherwise set forth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juxa Posted April 1, 2011 Fortunately the criminal justice system does not work an eye for an eye. Allaha unaxariisto marxuumka, no amount of prison sentence would bring him back. May allah bestow strenght and iimaan upon the mother. None of us can understand her loss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites