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Dubai: The former director of a Dubai detention centre and 24 prison wardens yesterday denied abusing their authority and beating inmates, one of whom was seriously injured.
The director, a senior police officer, 3 lieutenants and 21 policemen pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
When Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir read out the charges, each of the accused stood up and replied "not guilty".
Routine search
The Public Prosecution charged five of the accused with abusing the authority granted to them as prison wardens. While carrying out a routine search of the prison cells they allegedly beat an Armenian inmate so badly that he was left with a ten per cent permanent disability in his spinal cord.
The suspects, excluding the former director, were all charged with injuring and hurting inmates by using excessive force on them.
The Public Prosecution charged the director and one of the lieutenants, who supervised the search, with prompting the rest to commit the abusive and violent acts.
During Sunday's hearing the Public Prosecution representative asked the court to hand down the toughest punishments applicable.
Medical reports confirmed that the Armenian, S.K., sustained a ten per cent permanent disability in his spinal cord.
Most of the suspects denied the charges against them when the Public Prosecution started questioning them.
S.K. alleged that one day he and other prisoners woke up when they heard loud voices.
They could see masked men taking inmates out of their cells. S.K. was also taken out of his cell.
"We were beaten while running through the alleyway to the outside prison yard.
"Men in black masks and some of the wardens assaulted us violently. "Doctors fixed a metal chip to my spinal cord after a major back operation at Rashid Hospital," he said.
An Iraqi inmate claimed that he was intentionally and repeatedly assaulted and alleged that anti-riot police used police dogs to frighten inmates.
A Dubai police major said the supreme command assigned him to investigate the allegations that an inmate had been beaten and admitted to hospital.
The major sent a lieutenant to question the Armenian in his hospital bed and came to the conclusion that assault by wardens caused the injury.
Meanwhile, another lieutenant who questioned a number of inmates who were there when the alleged incident took place, found the "assault and beating of prisoners did happen", however, he could not identify who injured the Armenian.
The major said digital recordings showed the wardens and anti-riot police taking inmates out of their cells and beating them randomly, using their arms and legs, while the inmates were running down an alleyway to the outside yard.
"Through our findings and what we saw in the digital recordings, we established the senior officer planned and supervised the incident. "A number of officers helped him," testified the major.
Some 22 prosecution witnesses, including police staff and other inmates, have testified before the Public Prosecution.
The court reconvenes next week.
Men in black masks and some of the wardens assaulted us violently. Doctors fixed a metal chip to my spinal cord."
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