Victim’s relatives pardon killer without diya

The relatives of an Asian man who was murdered by his room mate told court in Abu Dhabi they decided to pardon the killer nearly four years after the murder, prompting court to move hearings forward to next week.

The family in the home country sent a letter to the criminal court saying that it was offering a “full pardon” which does not include diya (blood money).

“The relatives said in the letter that they enjoy good financial position and do not need the diya money, adding that they gave the pardon to gain God’s mercy,” the Arabic language daily Albayan said, quoting court officials.

“The relatives also said they know that the family of the killer is poor and can not afford paying diya…for this reason, they decided to forgive the killer.”

The court, which had set hearings for June, decided to hold a session on February 21 to deliver its sentence after waiting for nearly four years for a response from the victim’s family.

The Asian man stabbed his friend to death during a scuffle at their room. Police have said both were drunk when they had the fight.