Daesh cell in Al Ain: Trial continues

Abu Dhabi: The State Security Division at the Federal Supreme Court on Monday heard testimonies of witnesses in a cases in which 11 Emiratis, including five in absentia, are being tried for joining, funding and promoting the ideology of terrorist group Daesh.

The court, presided over by Chief Justice Mohammad Al Jarrah Al Tunaiji, heard that the defendants formed a clandestine terrorist cell to promote Daesh’s terrorist ideology and recruit young Emiratis to fight with terrorist groups in Syria and also fund these groups.

“The terrorist cell planned and carried out a big operation to recruit a number of young Emiratis and prepare them mentally, psychologically and physically to uphold Daesh’s terrorist ideology and fight along with the terrorist group’s elements in Syria,” an officer told the court.

An Emirati, identified as A.S., was the mastermind of the cell and held meetings of the group in Al Ain, he said. “The man persuaded the cell to collect money and send it to Daesh in Syria. The defendant also persuaded the group to travel to Syria, where they found two Emirati liaisons to Daesh in Syria nicknamed Abu Dijanah and Abu Khattab. The two worked to provide Daesh with money and recruits,” the witness said.

The officer said sources informed authorities that four Emiratis were spotted as they travelled overland to a neighbouring country, from where they were flown to Turkey or direct to Syria, where they joined Daesh.

The witness told the court the four defendants handed over money to Daesh and were trained in camps in Syria and some fought along with the terrorist group.

The Chief Justice then allowed the lawyer to cross-examine the witness about the movement of the defendants and their statements to the prosecutors.

The judge adjourned the hearing to December 21 to allow the lawyers to present their defence. He also ordered that a defendant who was arrested with the help of his family to be present at the next hearing.

In another case, M.A.S. Al Hashemi, the husband of Ala’a Al Hashemi who was found guilty of killing an American kindergarten teacher on Reem Island and was executed by firing squad last year, was tried for attempting to harm the UAE’s security and passing on sensitive information to terrorist groups. The judge ordered the hearing to be adjourned to December 28 to retain a defence lawyer.

In a third case, T.M.S., an Emirati, had his case adjourned to December 14 to allow his lawyer to study documents of the case. The defendant is charged with passing on sensitive information to the intelligence agency of a Gulf country. The judge refused to grant bail to the defendant.

The fourth case of a GCC national charged with impairing relations between the UAE and that country at the State Security Court of the Federal Supreme Court was adjourned to December 28 pending the receipt of a medical report on his mental health.

The defendant’s lawyer, Raed Al Awlaqi, said his client had a mental illness that affects mood, thinking and behaviour.

The defendant also told the court that he suffered a psychological condition that affects his mood and behaviour and demanded that he be referred to Khalifa Medical City for an examination.

The court ordered that the defendant be referred to a hospital for examination and diagnosis of his condition.

Prosecutors accused the man of harming relations between the UAE and the GCC country by spreading rumours and false information on social media. He was accused of running an online account that could have harmed relations between the UAE and the GCC country.

The lawyer told the court in a previous hearing that his client only made the statements on BlackBerry Messenger and should be praised, not prosecuted

The court also heard a sixth case involving a number of Emiratis and citizens of other Arab countries and adjourned it to December 21 to allow lawyers to make their case. The judge also ordered that lawyers be retained for defendants who could not afford to hire the same.

In the seventh and last case, M.A.H.A., an Arab, had his case adjourned to December 21 to retain a lawyer to defend him.

Box

• Although the court heard seven cases, it took the judge only two and a half hours, unlike other cases which took more than four hours each.

• Seven members of the defendants’ families attended the cases. Once the court heard a witness, a defendant’s relative, asked to talk to the court, but the judge refused and threatened that he be sent out of the courtroom. “It is illegal that any attendant in the hearing speaks to the court.

• The judge received a number of defendants in his office after the hearing and listened to their requests.