Sheik Falah bin Zaye Sultan al-Nahyan

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Charge:	Assault (Including Battery)
Sentence:	"10,000 Swiss francs ($9,820) fine"
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	2003
Year Convicted:	2008
Year Cleared:	2009
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Switzerland
County or Region of Crime:
City of Crime:	Geneva
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Sheikh Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan was wrongly convicted in July 2008 of inflicting bodily harm with a dangerous object. The charge was based on al-Nahyan using his belt to hit American Silvano Orsi, after he declined a bottle of champagne in a luxury Geneva, Switzerland hotel bar in 2003. Sheikh al-Nahyan was the brother of the ruler of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Al-Nahyan was fined 540,000 Swiss francs (337,000 euros, 532,000 dollars), with all but 10,000 suspended for three years based on his good conduct. In March 2009 a Swiss appeals court overturned the conviction and acquitted him on the basis that a belt was not considered a "dangerous object" under Swiss law. On June 9, 2009 Switzerland's Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling overturning the conviction. In September 2010 Orsi was awarded compensation for the herniated disc and nerve damage to his right leg he suffered during the attack. In September 2010 Orsi filed a civil suit in Switzerland against the Le Reserve hotel where the attack occurred and Nahyan. On March 16, 2011 Silvano Orsi filed a $7 million defamation suit in U.S. District Court in Boston against Nahyan and his associates. The lawsuit claimed Orsi was slandered by false testimony and in statements made to news organizations that portray him as being anti-Islamic and homophobic, and a generally violent person."
Conviction Caused By:	"The judge erroneously considered a belt was "dangerous object" under Swiss law."
Innocence Proved By:	"In March 2009 a Swiss appeals court overturned the conviction on the basis that a belt was not considered a "dangerous object" under Swiss law. On June 9, 2009 Switzerland's Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:
Information Source 1:	"American appeals Swiss clearing of Emirates sheik, Associated Press story, Taiwan News Online, April 6, 2009"
Information Location 1:	http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=913044&lang=eng_news
Information Source 2:	"Brother of UAE leader acquitted of Swiss attack, Middle East Times, April 6, 2009"
Information Location 2:	http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2009/03/28/brother_of_uae_leader_acquitted_of_swiss_attack/afp/
Information Source 3:	"“Boston man sues UAE sheik for defamation,” Associated Press story, Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2010"
Information Location 3:	http://online.wsj.com/article/APc371607ca0bb497592cb741b7a702964.html
Information Source 4:	"Swiss court rules against american, Associated Press story, June 9, 2009"
Information Location 4:	http://www.365gay.com/news/swiss-court-rules-against-american-in-gay-sheik-case/
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
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Sheik Falah bin Zaye Sultan al-Nahyan

Charge:

Assault (Including Battery)

Sentence:

"10,000 Swiss francs ($9,820) fine"

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2003

Year Convicted:

2008

Year Cleared:

2009

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Switzerland

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Geneva

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"The judge erroneously considered a belt was "dangerous object" under Swiss law."

Innocence Proved By:

"In March 2009 a Swiss appeals court overturned the conviction on the basis that a belt was not considered a "dangerous object" under Swiss law. On June 9, 2009 Switzerland's Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"American appeals Swiss clearing of Emirates sheik, Associated Press story, Taiwan News Online, April 6, 2009"

Information Location 1:

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=913044&lang=eng_news

Information Source 2:

"Brother of UAE leader acquitted of Swiss attack, Middle East Times, April 6, 2009"

Information Location 2:

http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2009/03/28/brother_of_uae_leader_acquitted_of_swiss_attack/afp/

Information Source 3:

"“Boston man sues UAE sheik for defamation,” Associated Press story, Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2010"

Information Location 3:

http://online.wsj.com/article/APc371607ca0bb497592cb741b7a702964.html

Information Source 4:

"Swiss court rules against american, Associated Press story, June 9, 2009"

Information Location 4:

http://www.365gay.com/news/swiss-court-rules-against-american-in-gay-sheik-case/

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: