ARAB-Israeli photographer Fidaa Kiwan finally returned to Israel two years after she was sentenced to death for the possession of illegal drugs while visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Scenes turned emotional as loved ones welcomed Ms. Kiwan when she returned to Israel on Sunday.
The Arab-Israeli photographer, who owned a photography studio, visited Dubai for work at the invitation of a Palestinian acquaintance.
A few days later, on March 17, 2021, Emirati authorities arrested her after they found 50g of cocaine and 500g of cannabis in her apartment which she claimed did not belong to her.
She was originally sentenced to death in April 2022 but the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court reduced her punishment to life imprisonment in July of the same year.
Kiwan’s relatives insisted she has been set up and contacted Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who in turn made a personal plea to the government of the UAE.
The release of the Arab-Israeli photographer was taken as a sign of a “special gesture” by the president of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Kiwan’s release came at a time of blossoming relations between the UAE and Israel after both countries signed the Abraham accords hosted by former US President Donald Trump at the White House in September 2020.
