Belt bomber's sentence reduced to 2 years

The Dubai Court of Appeal reduced the Uzbek belt bomber's seven-year sentence in jail to two years. She had threatened to explode a belt bomb explode in the premises of Dubai Prosecution last September to force an Emirati man to take a paternity test of her son.

However, the Court of Appeal upheld the deportation order against ZA, 33, that will be executed after she completes her jail term.

Her accomplice, a UAE Emirati Captain MY, 28, also had his sentence reduced from two years to one year in jail by the Appeal Court.
 
In a previous hearing, the lawyer of the Uzbek woman told the Jury of the Appeal Court that her client was under psychological pressure due to her circumstances and she only wanted the authorities to listen to her request.

ZA, 33, was awarded 7 years in jail followed by deportation sentence by the Criminal Court of First Instance on March 5. She had admitted that she had only aimed to make employees listen to her request of making Emirati, JS, take a paternity test.

At the reception, the convict had clapped her hands to draw attention and started shouting and screaming, demanding a paternity test. She then opened her ‘abaya’ and, pointing at the belt she was wearing, threatened to bomb the building if her demand was not met.

Police officers were rushed to the scene and the building evacuated. They also negotiated with the woman until she surrendered at about 1am the next day.

The lawyer of her accomplice refuted the ruling of the lower court saying that it was based on contradictory and incomplete allegations made by ZA.

Regarding MY’s confession before the police, the lawyer said that his client was not arrested but rather summoned by the Force as he was not considered a suspect.

“My client was asked to help in the investigations of the case. It was shocking to my client that after that he was referred to the Prosecution as an accused,” said the lawyer.

The lawyer also defended that the woman, ZA, lied when she claimed that his client came to her accommodation and assisted her in giving shape to the 'belt'.

“It was a revengeful act from her side...My client was not in Dubai at all on that day. He was in Dibba and he can prove that. She had sent him, his sister and his wife text messages and threatening him of dragging his name into her troubles and etisalat can prove that.

"I had asked the lower court to get the list of the calls and messages, which are clear cut evidence of the wrong allegations and the revengeful intentions of ZA against my client. However, the court refused my request and sentenced my client based on allegations,” argued the lawyer.
 
Both the convicts denied the accusations when first appeared before the Court of Appeal.