Dubai Police refuse bail for man who filmed Emirati attack

Sam Monday, 29 July 2013 9:09 AM - UAE

Ah Dubai Again?

Come on people, if you're asking common sense to prevail here, you're asking for too much !

Last week, I walked out of my office at about 5 pm (fasting and hence tired) to cross the road only about 50 meters away from the zebra crossing - when the road was empty, and to save my self from the possibility of missing the green pedestrian sign, and of course avoiding the time spent out in the sun when fasting.

The policeman (a rather old guy) waited for me to cross the road and then came running all the way to me to catch me and take me back from the SAME ROUTE - when i told him, he should use the pedestrian crossing too - he just told me in Arabic no it was too hot to walk back ;)

I then realized they had been sitting in a private Toyota Hiace with totally tinted glasses - watching, observing and letting a violation happen, only to fine you.

But the problem is, when I complain about it - Dubai Police will say that I am trying to defame them & wont listen to my problem

Mariam Monday, 29 July 2013 2:22 PM - UAE

No the problem here StopDefamation, is that Sam is very arrogant and is a 'guest' of the UAE, so who is he to smart back to a UAE police officer? Sam violated the law. This whole issue which is now concluded, (so your late Sam with your comment!) is that this highlights an entire bigger issue and that is population imbalance. When you have expats that exceed the population levels of ALL other nationals/expats they become arrogant and entitled. Bottom-line is you are still a guest. You were rude and he (a rather old guy) REALLY? was too polite to you. Learn respect of the UAE, Sam!

StopDefamation Monday, 29 July 2013 10:48 AM - KSA

I think you should be jailed with no bail for making this kind of comments!!!!

LarryP Sunday, 28 July 2013 9:19 AM - Harvard USA

This is absolutely crazy. The cameraman should be applauded not thrown in prison.

Don't you get it? How you react will affect everyone, Emiratis included.

Do the right thing.

Saqr Saturday, 27 July 2013 11:40 AM - UAE

Unfortunately, some expats are making a mountain out of a molehill. This is nothing but a clear case of road rage, there has been far worse cases where the drivers come to blows, which has not happened here. Let us all control ourselves on the roads and on such forums and refrain from painting Dubai in a bad light and discussing this topic in offices and behind closed doors, remember that this is the same city that feeds you and your families. On the same note, Dubai Police should be applauded to refuse bail for the man who filmed the incident and posted it on You Tube, his intentions were clearly to defame Dubai and attract damaging publicity to the same city that feeds him as well.

ThanksForExplainingThisToUs Sunday, 28 July 2013 1:31 PM - KSA

I guess being beaten by an emirati in the road (and a Government official no less!!!) it is something expats should not only expect but be grateful.
And if they do not like it, hey they can always take the road to the airport

And yes you can have the laws you like, and guess what, the rest of the world can criticize them. Exactly the same way you do with many other countries (do you want examples)

Ahmed Sunday, 28 July 2013 11:01 AM - UAE

Until the laws change, the police are successfully doing their job by refusing him bail and btw ThankfullyWeGotYou, they did do their job and you have not seen the computer drives that they confiscated from his home. Thought he could film an Emirati official (btw he knew it was an Emirati official by the three digit license plate) and put the incident on YouTube in order to disgrace him? Really? Saqr has a valid point, if he doesn't like the country and doesn't wish to respect the legal process which would have been to submit the tape to police, not put it on YouTube, then he shouldn't live in Dubai. Quit trying to change the laws in a society, the laws are the laws, if the Emirities want to change them they will, this is a proactive government and should be a respected one.

ThankfullyWeGotYou Saturday, 27 July 2013 4:56 PM - UAE

...to instruct us on what is and is not important.

And btw the outrage right now it is not at the Road Rage (btw can you tell us how many Emiratis have been attacked by a foreigner in the last 24 months) but at how this has been handled by Dubai Police. This and the Norwegian woman issue have been great for Dubai's international reputation

farhan Akhtar Thursday, 25 July 2013 8:48 AM - Pakistan

Alas, Alas, Alas! I would not comment may be they will held me even on that...

Pissed Monday, 22 July 2013 7:00 PM - Uae

On The National, the police rep said even if you take a video and go straight to the police, it will be like walking in to turn yourself in. In other words, video and photographic evidence mean nothing.

"He said recording a crime in public and taking the recording to the police would be the same as turning yourself in for breaching people?s rights.

?People are not allowed to film any incident, even if they see a crime being committed. The act of recording the incident is illegal in itself. Even if you take it to the police and don?t publish it, you are still in violation of the law.?

Red Snappa Monday, 22 July 2013 6:58 PM - Ireland

Whatever the machinations of the law, the film maker hardly represents a menace to society other than reproducing a faithful un-doctored record of an ugly incident, which does little to advance the reputation of the UAE, along with the litany of other situations involving foreigners, happily now subject to pardons.

Surely the publication of evidence of what would possibly be termed elsewhere as misconduct in public office, is to the benefit of confidence in society as a whole.

Thus denial of bail appears to be completely out of step with the supposed gravity of the offence.

LetMeGuess Monday, 29 July 2013 10:49 AM - KSA

"Malicious" not means being witness to any criminal offense carried by an Emirati, more or less synonymous with "defamation"

As you seem busy redefining terms in English I think you should publish a dictionary "English-Engirati" to prevent this kind of situations

I hope you do not find my sarcasm "malicious" too (would that be "sarcasmalicious"?)

Sarah Tuesday, 23 July 2013 10:39 AM - UAE

@Red Snappa - not unless there is malicious intent involved. We the public don't know what is on the computer drives that they pulled from his home. If, and I say if, he intentionally intended to post this video to humilate an Emirati official for a good laugh with his friends, then that brings up an entirely new light on the incident and then the charge of 'defamation' is truly the case and possibly why he is not allowed bail.

MySkinIsMyPassport Tuesday, 23 July 2013 10:37 AM - KSA

yes, it certainly helps to be blond and blue-eyed to get pardons.

Cynics may claim that the backlash in Europe has been stronger about that other case, and this poor Indian fellow has got much less visibility.

AAA Monday, 22 July 2013 10:31 AM - UAE

What about the public photos taken by the newspapers in UAE to highlight the crime?. I remember one newspaper took photos of some Asians gambling on the roadside of Sharjah. Police acted on that and arrested the culprits. Shouldn't the newspaper be sued for committing crime by defaming the gamblers?

Muhammad Hamza Qureishi Monday, 22 July 2013 8:40 AM - United States

Our Prophet Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him Said, "No Arab is greater than a non-Arab, and no non-Arab is great than an Arab." We are all humans and we should be civil about how we deal with traffic accidents. If this happened in America, the Emirati brother would be arrested for road rage, and for committing a hate crime against the Indian man. The Indian man may have made a mistake, but again the Emirati man could have exchanged drivers licence and car insurance data and sued the Indian man and his company. But hitting anyone is wrong.

gabi Monday, 22 July 2013 8:39 AM - UAE

This is holly month and the month of forgivness. So take the sprit of holly month and let all parties to be free. Let the rest people to take lesson from what happened. Infront of God all are equal.
God Bless UAE!!

LAD Monday, 22 July 2013 8:35 AM - UAE

Youtube is a website who's services are permitted by the authorities.
If the usage of services of a particular organisation are not in accordance with the law, why were they permitted in the first place?