UAE adjourns appeal of Arab-Israeli woman

An Emirati court yesterday postponed, for the third time, the hearing of an appeal filed by Arab-Israeli woman, Fidaa Kiwan, who was sentenced to death for carrying half a kilogramme of cocaine.

Israel’s Walla news site reported that the court had adjourned the session after the lawyer for the co-defendants, both Pakistani citizens, did not attend the session in Abu Dhabi.

The news site said the presiding judge explained to Fidaa that the session had been postponed, despite the long wait, adding that the parents and sister of the Pakistani brothers were in attendance.

Outlining the conditions of her confinement, Fidaa told Walla: “We wake up in the morning, eat and occupy ourselves, write, read and do sports.”

READ: Israel asks UAE to commute the death sentence against Arab-Israeli woman

“I want to go back to photography, go back to work and my routine…to my family,” she added.

Emirati authorities arrested Kiwan in March 2021 and sentenced her to death in April the following year after finding half a kilogramme of cocaine in her possession.

Last month, the UAE Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi suspended the death sentence issued against her following an appeal submitted by her lawyer.

Fidaa says the drugs are not hers and were planted in her bag and in the apartment, she was staying in.