Torture Tape Arab Prince Denies Abuses

An undated file image shows Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahayan, a brother of United Arab Emirates President, and Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahayan. (AFP/Getty Images)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—A wealthy Arab prince, who was filmed allegedly torturing an Afghan grain merchant, may have been given drugs which made him unaware of his actions, a trial heard.

An investigation into the alleged abuses by Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, convened on Dec. 14 to investigate the effects of the unnamed substance.

His defense rests on the claim that Issa was given mind-altering drugs against his will, and then blackmailed with a video seemingly depicting him torturing an Afghan grain merchant.

The deeply shocking torture video, which was aired on the U.S. network ABC in April, apparently shows Issa directing policemen to attack a cowering Mohammed Shah Poor.

In several scenes of the video, Issa appears to personally beat the man with a cattle prod, a whip, and a plank of wood with protruding nails.

In a final scene, the victim—who was accused of cheating Issa in a business deal—has salt poured into his wounds and is run over by a 4x4 vehicle as he lays cowering on the floor.

Issa, the brother of the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, has pleaded not guilty to the crime.

“My client does not remember what happened that night,” said Habib al-Mulla, the lawyer for Sheikh Issa, in comments published by the Abu Dhabi-based English daily, The National.

“He did not have the mental capacity. Because he was drugged against his will, he cannot be held responsible.”

The trial is extremely rare in the Gulf state, where the ruling family are often regarded as being above the law.

Issa is accused of endangering a life, causing bodily harm, and rape, for the incident that allegedly took place in 2004.

His defense argument revolves around the claim that one of the sheikh’s seven codefendants was responsible for Issa’s medication, and drugged him.

The incident was videotaped and the man allegedly tried to blackmail Issa.

Mulla presented a letter to the court, allegedly from the lawyer of the codefendant, demanding US$68 million from Issa, in order for the tape to be destroyed.

Mulla also argued for the charges to be dismissed on the grounds that the UAE’s Federal Supreme Court had previously ruled that video evidence of a crime scene was inadmissible, the newspaper reported.

The trial was adjourned until later this month when a forensic expert is to testify on the potential effects of the drugs Sheikh Issa is said to have been given, The National said.