Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009
Gulf News
Sharjah: The Sharjah Appeal Court upheld the death sentence of a man who killed his business partner seven years ago using a penknife.
After a trial which ran for more than two years at the Sharia court and another five years at the Sharjah Appeal Court, the murderer now has to pay blood money of Dh750,000 to the successors of the deceased to avoid capital punishment.
Ukranian Andrei Semenchenko, in his late 30, who is being held at the Sharjah Central Jail has requested members of the public and officials to help him raise funds to pay for the blood money.
The family of the Syrian victim recently submitted a written undertaking to the Sharjah Appeal Court promising to waive their rights if the accused pays the amount.
Semenchenko has been in jail for the past seven years.
Two years ago, the parents of the Syrian victim refused to accept Dh500,000 in blood money asking for the death penalty.
The Sharjah Appeal Court has asked the Sharia court in Syria to confirm that the victim's children, who are minors, are not in need of the blood money currently. The court should affirm that the children are provided for till they grow up and the court here must take into consideration how they will benefit from it.
It was only this year the family of the deceased were willing to make a compromise. They agreed to pardon Semenchenko if he paid $200,000 (Dh734,500) to victim's children Dana and Dina.
"This is hope and a light in the dark for me. Yet now I am in desperate situation because of the blood money which I cannot afford," Semenchenko told Gulf News.
"Both my wife's parents who were willing to help me have passed away and my own father is over 80-year-old and blind," he said.
Semenchenko said he is stuck here and has a little son who has no one to take care of him. He said his wife couldn't manage to run his business after his arrest and he lost everything.
"I hope someone will save my life so I can go back to my family. I regret what I have done. I am in jail for the past seven years. I cannot imagine that I am facing a shooting squad. My son is so young and he needs me," he said.
The Ukrainian accused and his Syrian victim used to run a business together in Sharjah. The incident happened when both of them were in their office and had a fight over work-related issues.
The Ukrainian stabbed the victim in his chest using penknife. But when the victim tried to escape, Semenchenko stabbed him again in his back.
The victim died on the spot following which the murderer was arrested.
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
