The man who kidnapped, raped and killed eight-year-old Obaida Al Aqrabawi is to be executed after he lost his final appeal at Dubai’s highest court on Monday morning.
Dubai’s Cassation Court overruled the appeal lodged by Jordanian Nidal Ali, 49, and upheld the death sentence against him.
Obaida was kidnapped on May 20 while playing outside his father’s garage in Sharjah’s industrial area.
His body was found two days later on Academic City Road in Al Warqa.
Ali was sentenced to death by Dubai Criminal Court on August 15 last year, a verdict that was upheld on January 22 by Dubai Court of Appeal.
Now the verdict has again been upheld at the cassation court, the case will be referred to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, or the Dubai Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, to approve the execution and set a date.
At home in Sharjah, Obaida’s family were waiting desperately to hear the verdict.
"Since early morning we were waiting to hear, and the family has not slept yesterday in anticipation. Now that justice has been served, we will try to move on with our lives," said Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, his Jordanian father.
Upon receiving the news, Mr Al Aqrabawi went up to his apartment to tell his wife and Obaida’s grandmother.
"We can’t believe it is over. Yesterday, I was telling my mother that, inshallah, tomorrow, we will hear that he will be executed," said Obaida’s mother.
"We can’t thank enough all the people who stood by us and supported us during this ordeal."
Obaida’s grandmother was in tears when she heard the news.
"I was flown in 10 days ago from Jordan to stand by my daughter and our family. I am relieved now that the killer will be executed for what he did to my grandson," she said.
"He was an angel, a nice kid, well behaved. And he was brutally murdered, may he Rest In Peace."
Mr Al Aqrabawi said that during the trial several people had contacted him to drop the charges against Ali.
"Relatives have been trying to call me, text me to pardon him. I had to block them on WhatsApp. I wanted nothing but justice for my son and our family and now it was served," he said.
During the trial, Ali admitted to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on the day he strangled Obaida but he denied sexual assault and kidnapping, saying the boy went willingly into his car.
During the appeals case, Ali’s defence lawyer requested a psychological evaluation for his client, which was later presented to the court.
The report found that he suffers from antisocial personality disorder and alcohol dependency "but it does not affect his perception nor does it hinder his ability to distinguish [right from wrong]. He is fully aware and responsible for his action".
"The killer was admitted to Rashid Hospital’s psychiatric section, where he was examined by a medical committee for a week," the report said. "He also underwent a personality test by psychiatrists and their clinical diagnosis was consistent with the committee’s findings."
Results of a CT scan on him were normal, as were the results of an electroencephalogram, which showed no signs of any epilepsy.

Source: The National