(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Federal Supreme Court finds Alaa Bader Al Hashemi guilty of the premeditated murder of American schoolteacher Ibolya Ryan inside the washroom of a mall on Reem Island.
Abu Dhabi - Alaa Bader Al Hashemi known by her moniker ‘Reem Island Ghost’ was calm when the presiding judge at the Federal Supreme Court sentenced her to death on Monday morning.
What the judge said before pronouncing death penalty
Before pronouncing the death penalty the presiding judge of the State Security Circuit quoted from the Holy Quran: “And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly We have given his heir authority but let him not exceed limits in (the matter of) taking life. Indeed he has been supported (by the law). (Surat Al Israa verse 33).”
The presiding judge said the UAE remained and will remain a home for security stability and a “wonderful model and example for social peace and cohesion”. Yet a new kind of crime the Emirati society was not familiar with before appeared in the last few years.
This kind of crime aims to breach the public order and jeopardise the society’s security and safety to “fulfil an unlawful project in favour of groups or individuals by committing acts that could hurt people putting their lives freedom and security at risk”.
Since such acts pose a threat to the security and stability of the society it is mandatory to ward off their destructive results. Thus the UAE enacted the anti-terrorism law number 7 of 2014 (under the provisions of which Alaa Bader Al Hashemi was found guilty).
The State Security Circuit found her guilty of the premeditated murder of American schoolteacher Ibolya Ryan inside the washroom of a mall on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi on December 1 last year.
She also attempted to kill a US family of Arab descent in a building in Abu Dhabi by planting a handmade bomb in front of their apartment. She was also found guilty of setting up and operating a website to promote terror ideologies and posted information that harmed the stature of the country. Additionally she funded Al Qaeda in Yemen.
The almost three-month long trial began on March 22.
Just over an hour after fleeing from the Boutik Mall after stabbing Ryan to death Al Hashemi planted a primitive bomb outside the house of an Arab-American physician in Corniche area. The doctor’s son alerted the police on finding the bomb while going for Maghrib prayer.
Al Hashemi was arrested within 48 hours after the crime was reported. The Ministry of Interior released a video showing the search and arrest procedures adopted by the police in arresting her from her house. The video also showed the bloodstained steering wheel of Al Hashemi’s car a black suitcase four types of kitchen knives petrol cans matches and other articles used to make the crude bomb.
Unappealable verdict
The death penalty is final and cannot be challenged according to Zayed Al Shamsi chairman of the Emirates Lawyers and Jurists Association. “Verdicts pronounced by the State Security Circuit of the Federal Supreme Court are final and incontestable. Verdicts will be executed immediately after being pronounced” he noted.
The execution of the death penalty in the UAE is carried out by the firing squad. Its timing and form will be left to the executive authority after being signed by the President he explained.
In cases of murder death penalties can be delayed till the blood heirs of the convict become adults. However in terror cases no such leniency is shown.