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Federal court rejects Emirati man's appeal against life sentence

Abu Dhabi - The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals had found the defendant guilty of using his car to run over the victim with the intention of committing a terror act.

The state security circuit of the Federal Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a 30-year-old Emirati for attempting to murder an American citizen. The court upheld the appellate court's verdict of life sentence against the defendant. 
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals had found the defendant guilty of using his car to run over the victim with the intention of committing a terror act.
He was convicted of attempting to join terrorist group ?Al-Nusra Front in Syria, for which he travelled to Turkey. The court also found him guilty of planning to carry out terror acts, including attempting to blow up some sensitive places by using explosives and live ammunitions. He was also found guilty of setting up accounts on social media to promote the ideologies of Al Qaeda and Daesh; and publishing lectures and talks of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of Daesh. He used the accounts to encourage the youth to join the terror groups.
In another case, the court upheld the acquittal of two Emiratis and a Comoros Island passport holder on charges of joining Al Nusra terror organisation in Syria. The trio was also charged with possessing a weapon without having a permit and publishing information on WhatsApp to promote the ideologies of Daesh. 
In a third case the court heard on Monday, an Emirati woman challenged a five-year sentence that was pronounced by a lower court on charges of attempting to join Daesh. The court adjourned the case to June 5.
malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com