Man jailed 10 years for joining Al Qaida affiliate in Yemen

Abu Dhabi: A 21-year-old Emirati was jailed for 10 years on Monday by the Federal Supreme Court for having links with a banned terror group.

The court found Mohammad Khalid Mohammad Karama Al Ameri guilty of joining the Abu Al Fida group, an affiliate of Al Qaida in Yemen.

Judge Mohammad Jarrah Al Tunaiji found Al Ameri guilty of receiving military training in Al Qaida’s camps in Yemen and ordered that he undergo a 10-year jail term.

In another case, an Indian, identified as MNT is charged with spying for a foreign country. The court heard that MNT, who was working at Abu Dhabi Port Company, a master developer and manager of ports and industrial zones in Abu Dhabi, allegedly passed on sensitive military information about the movement of military vessels at Zayed Port and Khalifa Port to two intelligence officers working at the Indian embassy.

A witness told the court that the accused passed on information about an American aircraft carrier, three European military vessels and a Pakistani military vessel, which called at Abu Dhabi ports.

In another terror-related case, M.A.S. Al Hashemi, 34, is being tried on charges of endangering the UAE’s security by planning terror activities and supporting and abetting a terrorist organisation.

Al Hashemi is the husband of Alaa Bader Abdullah Al Hashemi, who was executed by a firing squad this year after she was found guilty of killing an American kindergarten teacher in Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island. The court heard that the defendant was allegedly attempting to harm the UAE’s security by passing on sensitive information to terrorist groups.

Prosecutors told the court that Al Hashemi attempted to join the banned terrorist organisation Daesh in Iraq.

“The defendant surfed the internet to find out information about the terrorist organisation and got in touch with a member of the group called Mosleh to help him travel to Iraq and join Daesh,” a prosecutor told the court.

He added: “As the defendant failed to travel to Iraq, he opted to work in the UAE to support the terrorist organisation.”

The prosecutor said the defendant also planned to blow up a number of tourist, commercial and military targets in Abu Dhabi.

“The man also planned to assassinate officials in Abu Dhabi,” the prosecutor said.

Al Hashemi is also accused of funding Daesh as well as setting up and running online accounts to promote the terrorist ideology of the group.

“The defendant entered banned websites and got information about how to make explosives,” the prosecutor said, demanding that the man receive the maximum punishment in accordance with the UAE’s counterterror laws.

The judge ordered that the hearing be adjourned to January 18 to allow the defence lawyer to present his case.

The witness added that the defendant was recruited as he visited the Indian embassy for the renewal of passports of his family members.

“The man knew how sensitive and important were the information he gave to the intelligence officers and he knew the leakage of these information could harm the UAE’s political and military relationships with a number of countries,” the witness told the court.

The court was adjourned until January 4, when the next hearing will be held and the defence will be allowed to present its case.

Three other terror-related cases were adjourned to different dates next month for various reasons. ‎

A GCC citizen charged with setting up and running an online account to spread rumours and defame the country will have his next hearing on January 11, when a medical report of the defendant will be submitted to the court.

AAB, an Emirati, also charged with setting up and running an online account to defame Emirati leaders, had his hearing adjourned to January 4 to review the medical report of the defendant.

The court also adjourned the hearing of Essam Al Erian, a member of Egypt’s banned terror group Muslim Brotherhood, to January 25, when the Egyptian Ministry of Justice responds about the position of the accused, who is jailed in Egypt in other cases.

According to the federal counter-terrorism law, the convicted terrorists face capital punishment, life imprisonment and fines of up to Dh100 million.