Ukrainian woman sentenced to death for murder in United Arab Emirates

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - A court in the United Arab Emirates sentenced a Ukrainian woman to death on February 15 for the murder of an Uzbek woman in the city of Dubai.

Tetianna Zholubova, 28, was given capital punishment for participating in the bludgeoning death of Natasha Hudkova, an Uzbek citizen living in Dubai, while burglarizing her apartment. According to the information service of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Zholubova and a male accomplice broke into Ms. Hudkova's apartment and killed the Uzbek woman in the course of the burglary.

The Ukrainian Embassy is working diplomatic channels to help Ms. Zholubova, but with difficulty.

"The government of the United Arab Emirates views this matter as their internal affair and does not want intrusions," said Viktor Nahaichuk, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Service. "But an appeal is being made to higher judicial authorities, and our Embassy will use all diplomatic means so that the matter is decided in a positive manner."

Mr. Nahaichuk said the Embassy has hired attorneys for Ms. Zholubova and that a commutation of sentence is possible.

"Our diplomats are working with attorneys to lessen the penalty. One angle is that she is a woman, and there is a precedent in the UAE for commutation of sentences in such cases," said Mr. Nahaichuk.

Ms. Zholubova arrived in Dubai, a city of a 250,000 residents located on the south shore of the Persian Gulf, on a tourist visa in late 1996. While there, she began working as a prostitute. Ukrainian officials in Dubai and in Kyiv would not say whether she was coerced into prostitution or through what travel agency she obtained her visa.

The murder of Ms. Hudkova, also a prostitute, occurred not long after Ms. Zholubova arrived in the Arab city. On December 24, 1996, Ms. Zholubova and an accomplice forcibly entered the apartment of the victim only to find her present. Ms. Zholubova claims that her accomplice, whom the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not name, repeatedly struck Ms. Hudkova over the head with a blunt metal object.

The pair fled the country after the killing, but Ms. Zholubova re-entered Dubai in February 1997 and was immediately arrested.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Mr. Nahaichuk could not give a reason why Ms. Zholubova returned, but said "it was not a very smart move on her part."

Along with the death penalty, she was given a three-year prison term for prostitution. Her unnamed accomplice is still at large, although he has been sentenced to death in absentia.

Ms. Zholubova remains incarcerated in Dubai. In the United Arab Emirates firing squads are used to carry out death sentences.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 22, 1998, No. 8, Vol. LXVI

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