UAE death sentence by stoning

By Julia Wheeler

A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced a female Indonesian expatriate to be stoned to death after she was convicted of adultery.

The sentence was passed under Islamic Sharia Law in the eastern Emirate of Fujairah.

The sentence of stoning is an extremely rare one in the UAE.

Executions under Sharia law are usually carried out by firing squad out of public view.

But in this case the Fujairah Sharia criminal court has sentenced 29-year-old Karteen Karikender to be killed by stoning.

Local reports say she has been having an adulterous affair with an Indian expatriate man.

Appeal expected

The Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, has expressed its sadness at news of the ruling and it says a lawyer will be hired on behalf of the woman to appeal against the sentence.

It is not clear how long Karikender has been in custody or whether she is married.

The Embassy says it is continuing to gather the details of the case.

It is believed Karikender had been working as a housemaid in a local home.

Newspaper reports indicate the man involved in the affair fled the UAE before he could be arrested.

They suggest the court acquitted the man of any wrongdoing.

Traditional outlook

The mostly rural Emirate of Fujairah on the east coast of the country is known for its traditional outlook.

It has fewer expatriates than the more cosmopolitan big city Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Karikender's case is now expected to go to the Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi.

If the verdict is upheld at this level, the death sentence must be ratified by the president before being carried out.

A time scale of six months to a year is likely before any final sentence of death is passed.