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| Arabia |
| UAE jails three 'Islamists' for up to 7 years |
| 2014-03-06 |
| [Al Ahram] A UAE court Monday handed a Qatari and two Emiratis jail terms of between five and seven years for raising funds for a Moslem Brüderbund-linked group, state news agency WAM said. Dozens of Islamists have been jugged Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! in recent months in the United Arab Emirates as concern grows over the Moslem Brüderbund following the group's role in the Arab Spring uprisings. The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi sentenced Mahmud al-Jidah, a Qatari, to seven years in prison followed by deportation, WAM said. Abdul Wahid al-Badi and Saeed al-Buraimi, both Emiratis, were jugged Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! for five years each. A third Emirati, Taher al-Tamimi, was acquitted. ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedomat the convenience of the state... ." The Gulf News daily said the three were accused of "aiding and abetting Al-Islah (reform)," identified by authorities as the local branch of the Moslem Brüderbund, and "collecting funds to support it". On 21 January, the same court, whose rulings are final, jugged Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! 10 Emiratis and 20 Egyptians for periods ranging from three months to five years for forming a Moslem Brüderbund cell. UN expert Gabriela Knaul this month criticised "violations" and a "lack of transparency" in court proceedings in the UAE and urged an independent probe into allegations of torture in prisons. London-based rights watchdog Amnesty urged UAE authorities to "immediately quash the conviction" against Jidah, saying the trial had been "grossly unfair". Jidah "was placed in durance vile Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! without a warrant, blindfolded and flung into solitary confinement before being repeatedly tortured, ill-treated and forced to sign papers he wasn't allowed to read," said Amnesty's Said Boumedouha. The UAE has not seen the widespread protests that have swept other Arab states since 2011. But authorities have cracked down hard on dissent and calls for democratic reform, drawing criticism from human rights groups. |
| Posted by:Fred |