Abu Dhabi: "I cannot describe the feeling I had when I heard about being pardoned ... it is the best feeling I have experienced in my 29 years. I have felt happiness many times before but never this way," says R.B., a Lebanese prisoner, set to walk free soon.
Under the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 808 prisoners were pardoned and debts worth Dh3.429 million settled. The prisoners include UAE nationals as well as expatriates.
R.B, a civil engineer, thanked Shaikh Khalifa for his humanitarian gesture to free hundreds of prisoners during Ramadan. R.B was sentenced to four years in jail for drug possession.
Trying times
Speaking to Gulf News from within Al Wathba prison, he said: "I'm not an addict, but I did use drugs occasionally to get a high. It was my wedding in Leb-anon and my friends gathered together. I took some drugs along and one of them gave me two grams of hashish for later use.
"I left this in my travel bag and after six days I travelled to the UAE with the same bag. I completely forgot to remove the drugs from the bag."
He was detained at the airport. "I have been in jail for a year. The support from my family has been immense during these trying times."
He was arrested on the seventh day of his marriage, as he came into the country to get a visa for his bride.
"My honeymoon days were spent in jail," laughs R.B, saying his family is eagerly awaiting his release.
Asked if he would return back to his former ways, he says: "I'm here by accident, out of my own carelessness. Some people blame others for being here, but I'm sure no one here is behind bars for no reason.
"I think God wanted me to spend some time in solitude to think about my life. And with this new beginning that I have been granted by His Highness, I shall be able to start over."
Rashid B, a UAE national is a free person today and he is trying his best to forget his days in prison. Thanks to the President, he is back with his family and returning to a normal life.
"I was a drug addict and was sentenced to four years in prison. I'm extremely happy now," he says.
"I was freed a week ago. A few of my friends in the prison were released too. We were also lucky to attend a work experience course that was organised within the jail. Now that we are free, we are all continuing our studies at college.
Mistakes
"My family used to pay regular visits to the prison and have been very caring. I have been given a chance and I will choose my path carefully from now on ... everyone makes mistakes but the challenge is to rectify them," he said.
The pardon was extended to those inmates who had served part of their sentences.
Awaiting his reunion with his family, Mohammad A., a 25-year-old Indian, says: "I could not believe that I was pardoned. I got the news on the first day of Ramadan."
Having spent 18 months in prison for a bounced cheque worth Dh170,000, Mohammad will soon be deported to his home country.
"I was arrested after my cheque bounced at the bank and sentenced to three years.
"I stood as a guarantor for someone I did not know well enough. I had no hope of getting my freedom in the near future because there was no way I could gather that much money," he said.
"I'm just praying that there will be no life ban on my passport because I wish to return to the UAE as I need to support my parents and two sisters back home," he added.
Another Indian, Ebrahim P., a 49-year-old, was arrested after he could not pay his rent of Dh10,780. He spent nearly five months in jail and was still awaiting the final judgment in his case when he was granted a pardon.
"I am very happy that I was pardoned. My family, wife and two children, do not know about my release. This will be a pleasant surprise for them," he said.
