56 sentenced to 10 years in UAE sedition case

In a landmark verdict on Tuesday, the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi sentenced the main 56 accused in the state security case to ten years in jail, while five others received seven years. Eight accused, who were tried in absentia, received 15 years each.

Twenty-five defendents, including 13 women, were cleared of charges of forming a clandestine organisation and plotting to overthrow the government.

A total of 94 dissidents were on trial on charges of forming an organisation with an aim to seize power.

The defendants, who included 13 women, were linked to Al Islah group which has links to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to a statement by the Ministry of Justice, 84 of the 94 defendants (72 male and 12 female) were present in the courtroom as the judge read the respective verdict to each defendant. Ten verdicts were read in absentia for the defendants at large.

The verdicts produced by the four-month long State Security trial cannot be appealed, and those found guilty will begin serving their sentences immediately, including time already served.

The defence lawyers presented their arguments at the hearings which began on March 4.

The detainees, arrested between March and December 2012, had pledged allegiance to the rulers of the United Arab Emirates and urged the president to lift a ban on Al Islah.

They were accused of charges related to the violation of UAE Penal Code Articles 155, 160, 169, 170, 171, 180 and 182. Article 180 relates to the “establishing, instituting, founding, organising, administering or joining an association, corporation, organisation or any branch thereof, with the aim of overthrowing the regime of the State, or publicising it where the use of force is noticeable.”

In its assessment of the trial, the Ministry of Justice, said the court’s transparency, fairness and independence were upheld, with more than 500 observers in attendance at each hearing, including family members of the defendants, representatives of the national media and the Emirates Human Rights Association, a registered NGO.

Human rights advocates in the United Arab Emirates are given all judicial and administrative guarantees to carry out their activities without restrictions within the provisions of law, it said.

It added that the case was investigated, prosecuted and tried before an independent judiciary in full compliance with the applicable procedural, evidentiary and legal standards of the UAE judicial system.

‘‘The UAE judicial system ensures that the rule of law prevails and that no person is above the law. Therefore anyone can resort to the public authorities to report assault, request protection, or claim compensation and ensure that any person committing any offence or felony is punished under law,’’ the ministry said in its statement.

Verdicts were as follows

(numbers refer to the order on the charge list)

First, defendants sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison.

13. Mohammed Saqr Yousef Al Zaabi.

14. Abdul Rehman Khalifa Salim bin Subaih.

27. Saeed Nasser Saeed Nasser Al Tenaiji

34. Mohammed Jassem Mohammed Darwish Al Nuaimi.

35.Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed Al Shaiba.

37.Hamad Mohammed Rahma Obeid Al Shamsi

81. Khalaf Abdul Rehman Al Rumaithi.

88. Jassim Rashid Al Shamsi.

Second, sentenced to ten years imprisonment, followed by three years probation

1. Sultan Kayed Mohammed Al Qassimi.

2. Mohammed Ali Saleh Al Mansour Al Mansouri

3. Rashid Omran Ali Obaid Al Shamsi.

4. Hussain Ali Abdullah Al Najjar Al Hammadi.

5. Hassan Mohammed Hassan Ahmed Al Hammadi

6. Ahmed Ghaith Ahmad Ghaith Al Suwaidi.

7. Ali Hussain Ahmed Ali Al Hammadi.

8. Ali Saeed Mohammed Hassan Al Kindi.

9. Khaled Mohammed Abdullah Al Shaiba Al Nuaimi.

10. Saif Mohammed Ali Al Ajla Al Ali.

11. Abdul Salam Mohammed Dawrish Al Ali

12. Hamad Hassan Ali Ruqait.

15. Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Mohammed Al Siddiq Al Obaidali.

16. Hadef Rashid Abdullah Al Owais

18. Abdullah Naseeb Karama Al Jaberi.

20. Fuad Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Al Hammadi.

21. Hussain Munef Al Jaberi

22. Ahmed Saif Kalf Saleh Al Matri

23. Mohammad Abdullah Al Roken

25. Abdul Rahim Mohammad Abdul Rahman Al Zarouni

26. Issa Khalifa Ahmed Saif Al Al Suwaidi

28. Juma Saeed Juma bin Darwish Al Falasi

30. Misbah Darwish Juma Kadas Al Rumaithi

31. Shaheen Abdullah Mall’allah Al Hosani

33. Saif Mohammad Saif Mohammad Al Attar Al Dhanhani

36. Ahmed Yusuf Abdullah Buatabi Al Za’abi

38. Khalifa Hilal Khalifa Hilal

41. Khalid Fazal Ahmed Jasim

42. Salim Ali Salman Hamdoon Al Shihhi

43. Saleh Mohammad Saleh Al Zafeer

44. Salim Abdullah Rashid Sahoo Al Suwaidi

45. Khalid Mohammad Yusuf Salim Rashid Al Yammahi

47. Ahmed Rashid Ibrahim Al Taboor Al Nuaimi

48. Saeed Nasir Saeed Usman Al Wahidi

49. Ali Abdullah Mahdi Saleh

52. Abdul Aziz Ali Saeed Harib

53. Ibrahim Ismael Ibrahim Al Yaqoot

54. Ahmed Saqr Mohammad Obaid Al Suwaidi

55. Tariq Hassan Abdullah Al Qattan Al Harmodi

56. Rashid Khalfan Obaid Sabt Al Ali

59. Tariq Ibrahim Abdul Rahim Al Qasim

60. Abdul Rahman Ahmed Mohammad Al Hadidi Al Ali

61. Eisa Ma’adad Abdullah Al Seri Al Muhairi

71. Salim Mosa Farhan Al Halyan

75. Ali Salim Mohammad Al Ghawas Al Za’abi

76. Ali Abdullah Fath Ali Al Khaja

77. Ahmed Hajji Sakher Al Qubaisi

78. Ahmed Hassan Mohammad Al Rustamani

80. Ahmed Kuned Al Muhairi

82. Ismail Abdullah Mallallah Al Hosani

85. Abdul Rahem Abdullah Abdul Kareem Naqi Al Bastaki

86. Mohammed Saeed Mohammed Thiyab Al Abdouli

87. Ibrahim Hasan Ali Al Marzouqi

89. Hasan Munif Al Jaberi

92. Najeeb Ahmad Abdullah Ahmad Amiri

94. Ali Mohammed bin Hajr Al Shehhi

Third, sentenced to seven years imprisonment

39. Omran Ali Hasan Al Radhwan Al Harthi

40. Mahmoud Hasan Mahmoud Ahmad Al Hosani

73. Abdullah Abdul Qader Ahmad Ali Al Hajiri

74. Mansour Hasan Ahmed Al Ahmadi

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• UAE