There should be nothing admirable in the fact that court-appointed lawyers have agreed to defend Rashid al Rashidi, the self-admitted rapist and killer of the four-year-old Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed. Al Rashidi is now appealing against his death sentence for that heinous crime in front of the Dubai Court of Appeals. His lawyers will probably seek to reduce the sentence by noting the difficult circumstances of his upbringing and plead for clemency.
Several lawyers have already declined to take up his case, understandably reluctant to associate their reputation with him. The first lawyer at his trial before the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance withdrew, saying he judged al Rashidi's crime too repulsive. Like all defendants, however, al Rashidi deserves a fair hearing no matter what the nature of his crime. The courts had to step in to provide him with adequate representation.
A modern nation needs a credible and mature judicial system. The focus of that effort is understandably on enacting a modern body of laws; on empowering an autonomous, transparent and well-trained judiciary; on training for a police force that respects the rights of the suspects as it gathers evidence and build cases; and on articulating a clear set of judicial procedures and streamlining the process.
But what is as fundamental as these components is upholding the rights of the defendant. Lawyers have a special responsibility in that regard. They have a duty to support and advise those who come to them for legal assistance, and not to allow their personal feelings to prevent them from providing a proper defence. The lawyers who have declined to represent al Rashidi unwittingly erode the standing of the judicial process, even if their personal feelings are understandable. They need not fear the opprobrium of society for upholding a most basic individual right. To the contrary, living by the ideals of their profession should bring them respect.
Company%20Profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
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The%20specs
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan