Five Israeli nationals have been acquitted by Dubai’s Appeal Court, which overturned their previous convictions of aiding and abetting in the premeditated murder of a fellow Israeli in the Business Bay area in May 2023. The court found insufficient and uncorroborated evidence to support the allegations against them.
According to a Khaleej Times report, the acquitted individuals had originally been sentenced to 10 years in prison each but were cleared of all charges earlier this week. Despite this, the primary defendant, a 19-year-old Israeli identified as H.Y., had his life sentence upheld by the appellate judges. His defense team had argued for overturning the conviction on the grounds of self-defense, but the appeal was rejected.
H.Y.’s lawyer, Massouma Al Sayegh, confirmed that the defense plans to appeal the appellate court’s decision before the Court of Cassation. The case stemmed from an incident in which the victim, a 33-year-old Israeli man, was stabbed to death outside a shisha cafe. The defense argued that H.Y. acted in self-defense after being attacked with a chair.
The acquittal of the five suspects also led to the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed against them. However, the civil lawsuit against H.Y. will proceed in the Dubai Civil Court, with his deportation also upheld.
The case is expected to be reviewed by Dubai’s highest court in the coming weeks.