Lawyer arrested for assaulting Dubai Police

He refused to be handcuffed and taken away in the police car

A 32-year-old Egyptian lawyer has been charged in the Court of First Instance with physically assaulting three police officers who were executing an arrest order by the Dubai Courts.
The defendant refused to step in the police car and then allegedly beat the officers, while punching and pushing them.
However, in court the lawyer pleaded not guilty to the charges. "I swear they assaulted me," he claimed.
The incident occurred on July 21.
The man was wanted by the Dubai Personal Status Courts to hand over his divorcee their daughter's passport.
"We had instructions to arrest the defendant, who was wanted by the Dubai Courts. We went to Al Hudaiba area and waited for him in the patrol car. When he walked out of a building, we approached him and ordered him to sit inside the car after identifying ourselves and telling him we had an arrest warrant. But he shouted saying the police could do nothing to him and that he was a lawyer and would have us fired," a police officer said.
"We tried to calm him down and showed him our IDs to prove to him we are police officers but he would not step in the patrol car but rather resisted and kept shouting. He twisted my arm and pushed me, while assaulting the other officers. He grabbed my colleague's hand aggressively to stop him from handcuffing him."
Another policeman said the defendant struck his face with his head causing him a lip injury when he tried to handcuff him.
"We had to call for other patrol officers to help us restrain him. But the other cops could not also force him inside the car as he showed fierce resistance."
"He ran inside the building and came down shortly later with torn clothes and injured chest. He shouted saying we caused him those injuries. But we ordered him to remain calm and he was taken to Bur Dubai police station."
An Arab man said he led the CID officers to the lawyer's whereabouts. "I helped his divorcee and she was in my car at around 6pmwhen her ex-husband assaulted the officers and told them he was a lawyer and would have them all fired."
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai