Police raided the house of Israeli photographer Fida Kiwan, who went to Dubai for business a year ago, and found a large amount of drugs. It was announced that Kiwan, who was sentenced to death, will be sentenced this month. While death sentences in the country are generally turned into life imprisonment, the eyes of the whole world are turned to Dubai…
Israeli Fida Kiwan was convicted and sentenced to death for possession of drugs (cocaine) in her Dubai home. It is reported that Kiwan, who is reported to be 38 years old in some sources and 43 in others, went to the country a year ago at the invitation of a Palestinian acquaintance to work in Dubai. Kiwan was arrested shortly after 500 grams of marijuana and 50 grams of cocaine were seized during a search of his apartment on March 17, 2021.
PENALTIES ARE usually commuted to life sentences.
Fida Kiwan and her family denied that the drugs belonged to her. Officials familiar with the case told The Times of Israel that they expect the sentence to be commuted to a long prison sentence on appeal.
The United Arab Emirates, which has very strict laws on drugs, often commutes the death penalty for drug trafficking to life imprisonment.
SENTENCED TO DEATH
Fida Kiwan, who has been held in a Dubai prison since last March, was in Dubai on business. Kiwan, who was allegedly involved in drug trafficking, denied this accusation and claimed that cocaine was planted in his apartment. After serving a year in prison, he was sentenced to death on March 30 for the alleged crime.
THE LAST EXECUTION WAS HELD IN 2014
The death penalty is rarely practiced in the Gulf state, even if judges impose the death penalty. The last known executions took place in 2014 for people convicted of murder.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they were aware of the case and were “addressing it through the consulate and our representatives in the Emirates”.
THE CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE IMAGES OF SELLING DRUGS
According to the news on the website of Israel’s famous Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, the images of Fida Kiwan, who was sentenced to death by the court in Abu Dhabi, appeared. According to the news, Fida was filmed selling drugs to an undercover agent. After the court had access to these images, the woman was convicted. Fida, 43, claimed that the drugs found in her home belonged to the owner of the house she was staying in.
CANCELED EXECUTION PENALTY RETURNED
The UAE had revoked the death penalty, but the sentence was reinstated due to the spike in drug-related crimes. While Israeli officials are surprised by this, they believe Kiwan will not be executed because he is an Israeli citizen and will instead face a long prison sentence.
FAMILY ASKED HERZOG FOR HELP
An Israeli official, who made a statement on the subject, said, “We are trying not to corner the Emirate. We are trying to ensure that this incident does not get out of control.” Meanwhile, Kiwan’s family reported that they wanted Israeli President Isaac Herzog to intervene in the situation.
AN ISRAEL WAS Caught BEFORE
This is not the first time the United Arab Emirates has seized large quantities of drugs from an Israeli citizen. In October 2021, 31-year-old Israeli Khalil Dasuki was arrested in Dubai on suspicion of involvement in smuggling half a ton of cocaine sent to Israel via the United Arab Emirates. Police officials said they thwarted the smuggling attempt, as they were given a clue identifying the container carrying the drugs. It was stated that the suspect of “Middle Eastern origin”, suspected of mediating an international crime organization specializing in drug trafficking, was arrested.
THEY EXPECT PRISON INSTEAD OF EXECUTION
Israeli officials said they hoped a long prison sentence would replace the death penalty. Kiwan’s family is considering appealing to the Israeli president to intervene. Kiwan’s lawyer urged the Israeli government to apply diplomatic pressure on the case, stating that it has done so in other cases as well.
NETANYAHU INTERFERED
Lawyer Tami Ullman said, “The family contacted me. I urge the Israeli authorities to use all their powers against the authorities in Dubai. The previous prime minister once brought back a convicted woman in Russia on an Israeli plane. So the state has the capacity to intervene.”
Israeli Naama Issachar was sentenced to prison for carrying 10 grams of marijuana during his trip to Moscow. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had gone so far as to make an unannounced visit to Moscow to get the young woman back.
REACT TO THE GOVERNMENT: THEY LEFT
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a friend of Kiwan’s compared the situation to Issachar’s. He said that the authorities were not involved enough in the incident and that the decision was not condemned, and he made a statement to the press and said, “They left him until he was sentenced to death.”
PUTIN FORGED
Issachar’s family had also complained that the government was not helping them enough before they were featured in the media. Naama Issachar, who has US and Israeli citizenship, was released after Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned him. Naama was arrested after finding about ten grams of marijuana in his bag at Moscow Airport. Issachar’s release was decided after talks between Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Moscow.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates normalized their relations by signing the US-brokered Abraham Agreements with Bahrain in 2020. The UAE has since become a popular tourist and business destination for Israelis, with tens of thousands of people visiting the Emirates.