“Change plea or you’ll be stoned”: Husband who admits cheating given legal advice by judge

A married man has been advised by a judge that he can change his plea in an adultery case, despite admitting in court 10 times that he cheated on his wife.

The defendant is facing the possibility of death by stoning after having an extra-martial affair with a woman for six years. He appeared at Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, charged with adultery.

However, the judge told the Emirati that the Arab woman with whom he is accused of having an affair denies they had an illegal liaison. He added that there were also no eyewitnesses to testify in court against the pair. He then asked the defendant 10 times if he had committed adultery, as the crime carries the death sentence.

The man answered “yes”, insisting that he was positive of his guilt. The judge advised the Emirati that he had the right to reverse his confession. He reminded the defendant that, according to Sharia law, his insistence that he had committed adultery would require the court to sentence him to be stoned to death if he is convicted.

After consulting prosecutors, the court ordered the defendant to appoint a lawyer to represent him at the rest of the hearings in the case. The judge wanted this done before a verdict is issued.

The court was adjourned until April 21. A judicial official told 7DAYS that under Sharia law, adultery can be substantiated through confession or if four people witnessed the offence and testified before the court.

Abu Dhabi Criminal Court had previously sentenced defendants in similar cases to be stoned to death, but the sentences have not been enforced. The official said courts can exercise leniency over such offences.

ismail@7days.ae

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