Man throws chair on policeman at Dubai Airport

A 26-year-old man is on trial in the Court of First Instance for physically assaulting a policeman at the airport.

The Uzbek man went berserk on May 31 when the officer asked him for his personal documents. He threw a chair on the officer and punched him several times after the victim fell down.

The Emirati police officer, 34, said he had orders to interrogate the accused about his ticket and personal documents. "He said he was hungry so I let him go to a restaurant and to a pharmacy. He came back about half an hour later and all of a sudden he asked me 'why you are not helping me'.

"He then closed the door and threw a chair on me. Then I saw him coming fast to me so I stood up to keep him away but he then punched me on my face. I fell down and he punched me repeatedly until my face bled. He left me when another officer walked in."

According to the testimony of the accused in the public prosecution investigation, he was traveling transit by Dubai International Airport, Terminal 1. "I was supposed to remain 14 hours before taking the next flight. However, I was held by the Dubai Police because I did not carry a passport. I had been in Egypt for 10 years but they deported me because I had overstayed illegally as I had lost my passport there."

The defendant was sitting outside the office of the police when the victim called on him for interrogation. "I entered his office and he started asking me about the ticket and personal documents. I told him I was not willing at that time to answer his questions. I was so angry and agitated because I got deported from Egypt where my father and parents live. I was upset because I was held for a long time and besides I would never get the chance to see my family again," the accused said.

He claimed he was so worried about the unknown future as he was heading to Uzbekistan where he knew nobody after he spent over 10 years in Egypt. "The officer was pushing me to give instant answers. I told him several times I did not have a passport but only a travel document. I could not eventually manage my anger."

He claimed he was tired because he was held in a room where there was no space to sleep.

The defendant admitted he closed the door, took a chair and threw it on the officer. The latter was sitting behind his desk when the accused attacked him, kept punching him after he knocked him down.

Another officer walked in and made him calm down. "He just said 'you want to put me in jail' when I asked him why he attacked my colleague," said the witness-cop.
 
A medical report showed the victim was left with a bruised and swollen nose and a forehead cut.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com