SHARJAH – A journalist who filed a defamation case against Gulf News and some of its editorial staff fainted in the courtroom when her appeal was rejected yesterday.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, IIqbal Al Tamimi, who was the first victim of Sharjah slasher, claimed that the story published in Gulf News had ruined her life and her career after she lost her freelancing job.
She said that she was only seeking justice.
"I have no one to help me out. I could not even afford a lawyer, but I am still really desperate for justice and this has been my war throughout."
Iqbal added that she was under pressure to drop the case alleging that the UAE Journalists Association officials warned her that she would lose the case and that the association was ready to fight her if she would not drop it.
When contacted, Mohammed Yousuf, Chairman of the UAE Journalists Association, denied Iqbal's claims, saying that the association did not apply any pressure on her to drop the case.
He said that Iqbal had herself contacted the association at the beginning of the case saying that she was victimised. "I listened to her despite the fact that she had assaulted the association, the newspaper in question and its lawyer on her web site. I had advised her against the move against their colleagues."
The role of the association was just to face her or any other person who has a legal dispute with a journalist "We are here to stand by the journalists working in the country," he stressed.
