6 men in security court for funding Al Houthi rebels

Abu Dhabi: Six men appeared on Monday at the Federal Supreme Court for funding Yemen’s Al Houthi group and providing them with chemicals, communication equipment, among other supplies. Five Yemenis and one Omani were charged with providing Al Houthi militia in Yemen with supplies, chemicals and communication equipment, prosecutors alleged.

Prosecutors said the provisions were procured by Abdul Malek Mohammad Ahmad Al Makhnaqi, 40, Abdullah Mohammad Ahmad Attiya, 41, Abdul Rahman Mohammad Abd Rabbo Al Sayyad, 34, all Yemenis, and Gulam Abdullah Mohammad Al Beloushi, 49, Omani.

“They handed over these equipment and chemicals to Salah Salem Mohammad Mahjoub, 36, and Faisal Ahmad Ali Al Jareedi, 41, both Yemenis, who transported the same to the terrorist group,” said Saqr Saif, the State Security Prosecutor.

The prosecutors also charged Attiya with investing money belonging to the Al Houthi group in a Dubai-based general trading business that the accused set up for this purpose.

Prosecutors demanded that the accused be punished with life imprisonment or imprisonment for not less than 10 years for providing funds to a terrorist organisation or person or collecting, preparing, obtaining or facilitating funding for such terrorist organisation or person.

Article 32/2 of the UAE Federal Law no.7 of 2014 on Combating Terrorism Offences states that life imprisonment or temporary imprisonment for not less than 10 years shall be imposed on whoever supplies a terrorist organisation or terrorist person with equipment, valid or false documents, communication means or any materials, information, consultation, dwelling, habitation, place for meeting or any other facilities which help such organisation or person achieve the purpose thereof, although aware of their truth or purpose.

The court, presided over by judge Mohammad Jarrah Al Tunaiji, adjourned the hearing to January 4.

In another case, 11 Emiratis charged with joining the terrorist organisation Daesh, had their hearing adjourned to January 10 for issuing a verdict.

Hamdan Al Zayoudi, a lawyer of a defendant, told the court the accused was a member of a group of friends who studied in the United States and that their relationship was nothing more.

“The defendant returned back home, applied to join a government organisation in Abu Dhabi and also the national Service. Before he joined the job, he wanted to travel along with his parents to India on a medical trip, but he was barred from travelling,” Al Zayoudi told the court.

The lawyer stressed that the defendant had never travelled abroad after his studying in the US, neither had he joined any terrorist organisation in Syria or elsewhere.

Al Zayoudi added that the defendant told the prosecutors he had intended to travel to Syria via Turkey to join a terrorist organisation, but he later backtracked and had never gone there.

The lawyer demanded that the defendant be acquitted on all charges.

Another lawyer, Jasem Al Naqbi, said his defendant was influenced by the terrorist ideology, travelled to Turkey but later he changed his mind and did not travel to Syria or join any terrorist organisation.

Another Arab man, charged with setting up and running an online account to spread rumours and defame the country, had his hearing adjourned to January 10, when a verdict will be issued.

Convicted terrorists face capital punishment, life imprisonment and fines of up to Dh100 million, according to a federal law to combat terrorism endorsed last year.

The trial continues.