Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Sheikh Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is a brother of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current President of the United Arab Emirates.

Legal matters

The Sheikh the subject of a lawsuit filed in Geneva by an American national, asserting that the Sheikh hit him repeatedly with a belt with a steel buckle after he declined a bottle of champagne from the sheik, in an incident occurring at the posh [http://la-reserve.ch La Reserve Hotel] some four years ago. The U.S. Citizen said that after he refused the champagne the sheik, whom he had never met, came up behind him, jostled his glasses, sat in his lap and tried to kiss and fondle him. When the American protested, the assault began, he said. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/19/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Emirates-Sheik.php Emirates sheik tried in absentia on assault charges in Switzerland - International Herald Tribune ] ]

According to the account published at 365Gay.com, the Sheikh turned violent, throwing the U.S. citizen down, kicking and stomping on him, and whipping him with the buckle end of his belt. As the attack was happening, the Emirates Sheikh screamed invective, including, at one point, words to the effect that "no stupid American or Italian is going to tell me what to do!" [ [http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=&sc3=&id=71854 Sheik Headed to Trial in Alleged Sex Assault on Man :: EDGE San Francisco ] ] He was criminally convicted by a Swiss Court in June 2008 for " causing deliberate and intentional bodily harm with a dangerous instrument" on the U.S. citizen-victim, and the sheikh was sentenced to sanctions, fines and a suspended prison term of three years, with a possible fine of over $500,000 US Dollars should the sheikh commit another infraction in Switzerland within his 3 year suspened prison term. [International Herald Tribune- http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/01/europe/EU-Switzerland-Emirates-Sheik.php]

According to the daily Tribune de Geneve, the Telegraph UK, the Associated Press and the court's judgement, the three-judge court denounced the sheikh's "angry and threatening" behaviour. "One would have expected the accused, at the time on an official visit with his father, not to succumb to this type of outburst and to show proof of greater self-control," the dailies said, quoting the judges' decision. [Telegraph UK -http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/unitedarabemirates/2234228/UAE-president's-brother-beat-man-with-belt-over-'gay-insult'.html]

Appeal and San Diego lawsuit

Silvano Orsi, 40, of Rochester, Gates, (per lawyer, Anthony G. Buzbee of Galveston, Texas), filed on July 15, 2008, a lawsuit in U.S. District Court of San Diego, California, for damages against Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Meanwhile, the sheik, owns a home in California and frequently travels there, appealed on July 10, the Geneva judgment, through his lawyer, Marco Crisante. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/16/america/NA-US-Emirates-Sheik-Sued.php iht.com, New York man assaulted by Emirates sheik files lawsuit] ] [ [http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=77347 edgeboston.com, Sheik Appeals Gay Assault Verdict, Associated Press] ] [ [http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/NEWS01/80716013/1002/NEWS democratandchronicle.com, Silvano Orsi sues sheik who beat him] ]

References

* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7482985.stm
* http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121491857187519225.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
* http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTE5NzI5OTA2Ng