UAE Officials Talk Futuristic Drones While Judges Threaten Amputation
A UAE judge has told two men that their hands could be amputated as punishment for alleged theft. The Khaleej Times reported that the two unidentified Asian men had “confessed” to stealing air conditioners and building materials from a warehouse, but in light of UAE authorities’ record of forcing false confessions out of detainees, it’s far from clear that the men’s confessions are genuine. What’s more, the judge, presiding over a court in the emirate of Sharjah, urged the two men to hire a lawyer because of the seriousness of the punishment. This implies that the case was allowed to go to trial without defense counsel and that other cases are tried without legal representation for the defendants.
Meanwhile, at the World Government Summit in Dubai last week, UAE leaders highlighted a commitment to build "smart cities" by showcasing grandiose plans to introduce autonomous aerial vehicles to the UAE. UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan claimed that "With the speed of UAE's development, we are not riding a fast train, we are riding an airplane."
The contrast between the modern image of itself that the UAE tries to promote and the grim reality of the UAE's archaic justice system cannot be more stark. If Sheikh Saif's claims are to be believed, the idea of creating a modern justice system in the UAE must simply have been left stranded at the boarding gate.
It is of great concern that amputation—regardless of whether it is regularly practiced—is still a punishment that UAE judges can potentially hand out. It is also a concern that people accused of a crime can be taken to trial without defense counsel.
With the penchant of police, prosecutors and security forces in the UAE for extracting false confessions and denying fair trials, it’s entirely possible for a person to be falsely accused of a crime, forced to “confess,” and then have a limb amputated. That’s yet another reason why it’s essential that the UAE modernizes its justice system and protects its residents and visitors against abuses committed by its security officials.
Building a modern justice system will do more to create "smart cities" in the UAE than promoting flashy headlines about flying cars.
