Hyderabad: A Hyderabad woman sentenced to 25 years in jail on drug-related charges in the UAE has lost her first appeal in court. Ameena Begum (23), a resident of Kishenbagh, was arrested upon arrival at Dubai International Airport on May 18, 2025, and later convicted by the court.Her initial appeal, heard by a three-member judicial bench in Dubai, was rejected, thereby upholding the lower court’s judgment. Her legal counsel presented arguments before the judges, pleading her innocence in the case. The defense stated that Ameena Begum, who was seeking employment after being abandoned by her husband, had been vulnerable as she needed to support her minor son and elderly parents.The defense explained that this was Begum’s first trip outside India. An agent had reportedly offered her a job in Dubai and arranged her travel via Bangkok. Her counsel said she was handed a bag containing an ‘abaya’ (garment) and told that someone would collect it upon arrival, unaware that the bag contained illegal drugs, which led to her arrest.The court was also informed that Ameena Begum was suffering from tuberculosis. After hearing arguments, the bench upheld the sentence pronounced by the lower court. Following the appeal judgment, MBT spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan said he spoke to her legal team, which informed him that there was an option to file a second appeal with the Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and to submit a mercy petition.Khan said he would write to Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar, requesting that the govt of India appeal to the UAE authorities for clemency on humanitarian grounds, citing her minor son and aged parents who are awaiting her return.
