DUBAI // A man sent to jail for life for aiding and abetting the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl 16 years ago will not be released early, the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance ruled yesterday.
Rahman Khan, 43, was convicted in 1996 for helping his brother-in-law after he raped and murdered the Emirati child on June 25, 1995.
The court sentenced the Indian to life in jail while it ordered the execution by firing squad of his 40-year-old brother-in-law, Dubai Military Command Guard Khalid Al Mousaji, in October 1996.
Judge Hamad Abdel Latif Abdel Jawad yesterday denied Khan's petition, filed on December 19, saying the crime was too gruesome to allow parole.
Khan has been in prison for more than 15 years and to complete a life term he has to serve 25 years.
When Khan appeared before the judge, he said he was remorseful.
"Having been jailed since 1995, I have learnt a lot," he was said, according to court records.
He told the judge he had become a new person.
"I am lodging this petition seeking forgiveness by the court to approve my release. I want to go back home and see my sick mother," records cite him as saying.
The petition, according to court, was based on federal penal procedures law Article 45 of the UAE Federal Law No 43 of 1992.
The article stipulates that a prisoner who has completed 15 years of a life sentence with good behaviour is entitled to be released if the court accepts his petition.
Along with his petition, Khan presented a certificate of good behaviour as well as a release recommendation from the Dubai Central Jail's administration.
Under the law, the petition must be filed through the Public Prosecutor's office, which is responsible for releasing prisoners. But the court has ultimate authority.
"A prosecutor, however, has no right of issuing the release order for convicts still serving sentences or have not paid their dues in financial cases," said Ashraf Kachan, a Dubai based advocate. "The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance is the body that decides on whether to approve or reject the petitioner's request for a release, and their verdict is final and not appealable."
Mr Kachan said he had never seen a petition successfully filed.
The public prosecution asked the court during Khan's hearing to dismiss his request, citing the brutality and gruesomeness of the crime, hearing records show.
Case records from 1996 show that Al Mousaji was arrested in Pakistan along with Khan after police discovered the little girl's decomposed body in a rubbish bin at Al Ghusais on June 28. She had been dumped there on June 25.
Information led police to Al Mousaji in Pakistan, and he was arrested and brought back to the UAE with Khan.
Testimony from a colleague of Al Mousaji showed that he went absent without leave three days after the murder.
Khan was accused and convicted of helping Al Mousaji dispose of the body for a payment of Dh100, as well as fleeing the country after a crime.
Al Mousaji was executed on the morning of October 15, 1996.
amustafa@thenational.ae
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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2/5
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- Join parent networks
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
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Investment raised: $4 million
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5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
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7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
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Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
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It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)