Capital punishment in the United Arab Emirates

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Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the United Arab Emirates.

Contents

Under Emirati law, multiple crimes carry the death penalty, and executions are carried out through a firing squad. [1] [2] [3] [4] Current law allows the death penalty for treason, espionage, murder, successfully inciting the suicide of a mentally ill person, arson resulting in death, indecent assault resulting in death, nuclear waste disposal in the environment, apostasy, rape of a minor, perjury causing wrongful execution, aggravated robbery, terrorism, drug trafficking [4] and joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). [3] [2] Overseas nationals and UAE nationals have both been executed for crimes. As of 2023, the last known execution occurred in 2017. [5]

Stoning

Since 2020, stoning is no longer a legal method for carrying out executions following an amendment to the Federal Penal Code. [6] Before 2020, stoning was the default method of execution for adultery, [7] and several people were sentenced to death by stoning. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Notable cases

In 1995, Sarah Balabagan, a Filipino worker, caught the attention of many people living in the UAE. She was reported to have murdered her employer in his Al Ain house, although she has always maintained that she only killed him in self-defence after he tried to rape her. After the UAE president himself got involved, Balabagan was set free and had to pay compensation instead. However, her right to remain in the country was cancelled and she was deported to her native Philippines. [12]

On February 10, 2011, Rashid Al Rashidi was executed by firing squad. He was convicted of raping and murdering a four-year-old boy, Moosa Mukhtiar, in the toilets of a mosque on November 27, 2009. [13] [14]

On January 21, 2014, a Sri Lankan national was executed after being convicted of killing an Emirati businessman by mowing him down with his car.

In June 2015, the Federal Supreme Court sentenced an Emirati terrorist woman, Alaa Bader al-Hashemi, to death for the murder of Ibolya Ryan and planting a "handmade bomb" in an Egyptian-American doctor's home in Abu Dhabi. The woman committed the crime in December 2014 and was executed at dawn on July 13, 2015. [15] This is the only time that a prisoner has been executed within such a short timeframe and one of the few cases of a woman being executed.[ citation needed ]

On November 23, 2017, Nidal Eisa Abdullah, a man who raped and killed an eight-year-old boy in May 2016, was executed. [16]

On April 5, 2022 an Israeli woman was sentenced to death in Abu Dhabi for drug smuggling. [17] Her sentence was later overturned by an appeals court and commuted to life imprisonment. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime, usually following an authorised, rule-governed process to conclude that the person is responsible for violating norms that warrant said punishment. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in such a manner is known as a death sentence, and the act of carrying out the sentence is known as an execution. A prisoner who has been sentenced to death and awaits execution is condemned and is commonly referred to as being "on death row". Etymologically, the term capital refers to execution by beheading, but executions are carried out by many methods, including hanging, shooting, lethal injection, stoning, electrocution, and gassing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates</span> Country in West Asia

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East. Located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, it shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia; as well as maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates. As of 2023, the UAE has an estimated population of 9.97 million. Emirati citizens are estimated to form 11.6% of the population; the remaining residents are expatriates, the majority of whom are South Asian. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language. Abu Dhabi is the country's capital, while Dubai, the most populous city, is an international hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital punishment by country</span> Overview of the use of capital punishment in several countries

Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as a punishment for a crime. It has historically been used in almost every part of the world. By the 2020s, many countries had abolished or discontinued the practice. In 2022, the 5 countries that executed the most people were, in descending order, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital punishment in the United States</span> Legal penalty in the United States

In the United States, capital punishment is a legal penalty throughout the country at the federal level, in 27 states, and in American Samoa. It is also a legal penalty for some military offenses. Capital punishment has been abolished in 23 states and in the federal capital, Washington, D.C. It is usually applied for only the most serious crimes, such as aggravated murder. Although it is a legal penalty in 27 states, 20 states currently have the ability to execute death sentences, with the other seven, as well as the federal government, being subject to different types of moratoriums.

Sarah Balabagan-Sereno is a Filipino woman who was imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates from 1994 to 1996 for murder. She was initially sentenced to death, but was later returned to the Philippines. Her story was made into a film in 1997.

<i>The Sarah Balabagan Story</i> 1997 Filipino film

The Sarah Balabagan Story is a 1997 Philippine biopic directed by Joel Lamangan. The film stars Vina Morales as Sarah Balabagan, an OFW who was sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates for killing her employer who was attempting to rape her.

Human Rights in the UAE are substantially restricted. The UAE does not have democratically elected institutions and citizens don't have the right to change their government or form political parties. Activists and academics who criticize the government are detained and imprisoned, and their families are often harassed by the state security apparatus. There are reports of forced disappearances of foreign nationals and Emirati citizens, who have been abducted, detained and tortured in undisclosed locations, and denied the right to a speedy trial and access to counsel during investigations by the UAE government. Human Rights Watch states that Emirati laws maintain capital punishment and discriminate against women, migrants and LGBT individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the United Arab Emirates</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Arab Emirates face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and under the federal criminal provisions, consensual same-sex sexual activity is punishable by imprisonment; extra-marital sexual activity between persons of different sexes is also illegal. In both cases, prosecution will only be brought if a husband or male guardian of one of the participants makes a criminal complaint. The penalty is a minimum of six months imprisonment; no maximum penalty is prescribed, and the court has full discretion to impose any sentence in accordance with the country's constitution.

Capital punishment is a legal punishment in Iran.

Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia is a legal punishment, with most executions in the country being carried out by decapitation (beheading) – Saudi Arabia being the only country in the world to still use the method. In 2022, recorded executions in Saudi Arabia reached 196, the highest number recorded in the country for any year over the last three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Dubai</span>

Human rights in Dubai are based on the Constitution and enacted law, which promise equitable treatment of all people, regardless of race, nationality or social status, per Article 25 of the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates. Despite this, Freedom House has stated: "Extreme forms of self-censorship are widely practiced, particularly regarding issues such as local politics, culture, religion, or any other subject the government deems politically or culturally sensitive. The Dubai Media Free Zone (DMFZ), an area in which foreign media outlets produce print and broadcast material intended for foreign audiences, is the only arena where the press operates with relative freedom."

According to Human Rights Watch, there is substantial discrimination against women in the United Arab Emirates. The status of women has improved over the years. UAE performs better on metrics of gender equality than many other states in the Gulf region, and it has been making reforms to protect women's rights and empower women in different sectors. Critics describe some of these reforms as window dressing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoning</span> Method of capital punishment

Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient history.

Capital punishment in Afghanistan is legal and could be carried out secretly or publicly. The convict could be hanged or shot to death. Stoning, amputation, and flogging were also sometimes used as a method for punishment, especially during the late 1990s. Public executions have existed throughout Afghanistan's history. They have continued with the Taliban returning to power in August 2021. Some executions were recently condemned by the United Nations. The capital offenses in Afghanistan generally include heinous crimes such as mass murder and are governed by Sharia, along with civil laws.

Capital punishment is legal in most countries of the Middle East. Much of the motivation for the retention of the death penalty has been religious in nature, as the Qur'an allows or mandates executions for various offences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majid Kavousifar</span> Iranian civilian executed for murdering a judge

Majid Kavousifar was an Iranian who, with his nephew Hossein Kavousifar, was convicted of the murder of Judge Masoud Ahmadi Moghaddasi. Majid and Hossein Kavousifar were both publicly executed by hanging in Tehran in August 2007.

The legal system in the United Arab Emirates is based on civil law, and Sharia law in the personal status matters of Muslims and blood money compensation. Personal status matters of non-Muslims are based on civil law. The UAE constitution established a federal court system and allows all emirates to establish local courts systems. The emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have local court systems, while other emirates follow the federal court system. Some financial free trade zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have their own legal and court systems based on English common law; local businesses in both emirates are allowed to opt-in to the jurisdiction of common law courts for business contracts.

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Jordan. The country had a moratorium on capital punishment between 2006 and 2014. In late 2014 the moratorium was lifted and 11 people were executed. Two more executions followed in 2015, 15 executions took place in 2017 and one in 2021. The method of execution is hanging, although shooting was previously the sole method for carrying out executions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital punishment for homosexuality</span> Death penalty for same-sex sexual activity

Capital punishment as a criminal punishment for homosexuality has been implemented by a number of countries in their history. It currently remains a legal punishment in several countries and regions, most of which have sharia–based criminal laws, except for Uganda.

Events in the year 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.

References

  1. ↑ "Timeline of executions in UAE". Gulf News. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 "UAE sentences 'jihadi teenager' to death for joining IS". The New Arab. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 "UAE sentences four to death for joining IS". The New Arab. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 "The Death Penalty in United Arab Emirates". Death Penalty Worldwide. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "United Arab Emirates". WCADP. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Federal Decree Law No. (15) of 2020". Ministry of Justice. 27 September 2020. Pages 1, Article 1 "The provisions of the Islamic Shari’a shall apply to the retribution and blood money crimes. Other crimes and their respective punishments shall be provided for in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other applicable penal codes". Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Youssef, Marten (21 February 2010). "Call for more information on the death penalty". The National . Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Wheeler, Julie (28 February 2000). "UAE death sentence by stoning". BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Jahanhir, Asma (17 January 2001). "Droits Civils et Politiques et Notamment Dispartitions et Exécutions Sommaires" (PDF). Conseil Économique et Social des Nations Unies (in French). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  10. ↑ Amnesty International (12 June 2006). "UAE: Death by stoning / flogging" . Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Al Deberkey, Salah (11 June 2006). "Fujairah Shariah court orders man to be stoned to death for adultery". Khaleej Times . Archived from the original on 8 July 2006.
  12. ↑ "Judicial caning, Arab Emirates, Oct 1995 - CORPUN ARCHIVE aeju9510".
  13. ↑ "Child killer is executed by firing squad". The National. 11 February 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  14. ↑ "Dubai mosque murderer executed". gulfnews.com. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "UAE woman sentenced to death for killing US teacher". Express Tribune. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Man who raped, killed eight-year-old boy Obaida executed". gulfnews.com. 23 November 2017.
  17. ↑ "Israeli receives death penalty in UAE for drug possession". 5 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Israeli death penalty sentence commuted to life imprisonment". The Times of Israel .
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