Death Sentence for Al Rabeeh School Janitor

In an earlier newsletter we informed ISR readers about a janitor at Al Rabeeh School, UAE, who was accused of raping a young student in the school kitchen. The child’s teacher had sent her to the office with papers and it is claimed the janitor pulled her into the kitchen and raped her.

The defense argued, “There was no forensic evidence to suggest he had committed the rape and, based on the testimonies of teachers at the school, it was impossible for the rape to have taken place in the kitchen, situated in the school’s administration, without anyone noticing.” The prosecutor argued there was no evidence proving the janitor had not committed the crime as alleged by the child’s mother. Following the incident, Al Rabeeh School fired the school principal, which the prosecutor interpreted to mean that the incident took place. We believe the school just needed to serve out a symbolic lashing for appearances’ sake.

Is the janitor guilty or innocent? This determination stands outside our domain. But it strongly appears the janitor is the victim of ‘wasta’ and not justice. Just in case you are not familiar with the term, ‘wasta’ is when the looser becomes the winner based solely on economic clout and influence. This practice is rampant in the UAE and other Gulf States, and this fact alone should motivate you to give deep pause when considering a teaching position in one of these countries.

ISR is asking that you contact HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH and request they intervene in this case. Guilty or innocent, everyone deserves a fair trial instead of tribal revenge. As a community, we can help assure that fact.

http://www.hrw.org/contact/new-york
http://www.hrw.org/contact/geneva
http://www.hrw.org/contact/london

Compose your own letter or copy/paste the following into this 
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Contact Us form:

Dear HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, 
In the UAE a man has been sentenced to death based on insufficient evidence. I urge you to please see the following article and proceed as you see necessary. 

Sincerely, (your name)

In UAE, an Innocent Man Faces the Death Sentence – Please Help / The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alastair-sloan/uae-death-sentence_b_4233116.html 

Death Sentence Upheld for Janitor Convicted of School Girl Rape in UAE / The Nation
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/death-sentence-upheld-for-janitor-convicted-of-schoolgirl-rape-in-uae