Family decline to pardon road rage killer despite UAE judge’s explanation on its benefits

ABU DHABI // The family of a man killed in a road rage incident have declined the option to pardon the killer despite the judge’s explanation of its benefits.

Dr Khairi Al Kabbash, chief justice of Abu Dhabi Appeals Court, told the family that Allah gave the option of pardoning to create a better society.

The judge was speaking during the appeal of Emirati M S who killed a diabetic man in his fifties during the road rage incident. He had been sentenced to death at the original trial.

M S’s brother, who was with him at the time of the fight, had been acquitted.

M S claimed in court to be half-paralysed following the fight he started.

Dr Al Kabbash explained to the brother, son, wife and daughters of the Emirati victim: “In Islam, it is different to other countries, where the murderer receives either death or jail – there is no pardoning.

“From Allah’s blessings, he gave us the pardoning as an option so the society will be based on forgiveness and pardoning.”

However, the lawyer representing the family objected, saying that the court had no right to convince them to pardon the killer.

Dr Al Kabbash responded: “We are not convincing them, we are passing on Allah’s message.”

He then asked the family to discuss what they had heard before making a decision.

The victim’s brother said their decision was already made.

“So you won’t take into account anything I said?” asked the judge.

“Of course we take into account what the court said,” the victim’s brother replied. “But when I think about what happened, I try to find 1 per cent of an explanation as to why they killed him – and I don’t.”

The judge explained that, after the physical confrontation, the victim was alive when he reached hospital and was made to wait for treatment.

He said it was unclear whether he died as a result of the attack or because of the delay in treatment.

The case was adjourned until November 21 for the family’s final decision.