Relatives wait for diya…killers for freedom

Three killers from Bangladesh remain in jail in Abu Dhabi years after completing their prison terms because of their failure to pay diya (blood money) to their victim’s family. On its turn, the Bangladeshi family has been waiting for years to get the diya after losing its sole supporter.

The three, aged 25, 28 and 40 years, accidentally killed their work mate during a fight in 2004 and were sentenced to between three and five years in prison and ordered to pay Dh200,000 diya to the victim’s relatives.

Nearly seven years after the verdict, the three are still in Alwthba prison just outside Abu Dhabi city as they could not afford paying the diya.

“The victim’s family has also been living for years on the hope of getting diya after the loss of its only supporter,” Emirat Alyoum daily said on Tuesday.

The paper quoted the killers, Nuralislam, Abdul Rab and Salim as saying they feel very sorry for what they have done and that they hope they will get financial help to pay diya and regain their freedom so they can go back home.

The paper said it hoped some benevolent people would donate the sum to get the three out of jail and support that family, which “is in bad need for the money.”

Under Islamic law, a killer can walk free in case of a pardon by the victim’s relatives in return for bloody money.

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