Dubai rent case prisoners to be freed before Eid Al Adha

DUBAI 28 July 2019: Dubai Land Department (DLD), through its judicial arm the Rental Disputes Centre (RDC), announced the release of all convicted prisoners in rental cases in Dubai in conjunction with the upcoming Eid Al Adha holiday.

The initiative was announced after a meeting that included Sultan Butti Bin Mejren, Director General of the DLD; Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-chief for Criminal Investigation; and Judge Abdul Qader Musa, Chairman of RDC.

A young Emirati businessman, Abdullah Ahmed Al Ansari, donated a substantial amount that covered a large proportion of claims that were issued by the RDC against the prisoners. Thus, prisoners convicted in rental cases in Dubai will be released, and the rights of the landlords will be preserved.

Al Ansari said that the contribution to this initiative came from his belief that prisoners of rental cases did not commit an offence but rather suffered difficult circumstances that led them to these difficult situations. Therefore, he decided to stand by them as an expression of the spirit of humanity that characterises Dubai and its citizens who enshrine the principles of giving which the Founding Father instilled. He also stressed that the wise leadership followed this initiative as a model of tolerance on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.

Bin Mejren said this generous initiative is considered the first of its kind in Dubai.

One of the rent prisoners being interviewed

Bin Mejren also said that the ‘Eid in your home’ initiative would ensure the release of 22 prisoners of multiple nationalities who are serving sentences in rental cases in Dubai and cover their lawsuits simultaneously as well as preserve the rights of landlords. DLD will cooperate with Dubai Police to complete the release procedures of the prisoners after the payments have been settled.

To complete this initiative and commence the executive procedures, the RDC formed judicial committees and met with the prisoners who are covered by the initiative to adjust their situation and ensure that they spend Eid Al Adha with their families in their homes.

The beneficiaries of the initiative expressed their happiness and thanked the organisers for reflecting the instilled humanity in the people of Dubai to bring joy to the hearts of their families on this great occasion. One of them said that he intended to prepare a 200-page booklet describing his experience in the reform institution in which he was treated with respect, justice, and equality and that there was no distinction between prisoners, regardless of race, religion, or gender. He commended the active role played by government institutions as a whole.

The Year of Tolerance focuses on five main pillars:

• To deepen the values of tolerance and co-existence among cultures by teaching the youth the values of tolerance
• To solidify the UAE as the global capital for tolerance through a series of initiatives, projects, and dialogues between various cultures and civilisations
• To implement multiple cultural programmes and make contributions to build tolerant communities
• To focus on legislative and policy-oriented objectives that contribute to mandating cultural and religious tolerance via dialogue
• To promote tolerance through targeted media initiatives and projects.