Abu Dhabi: The State Security Court yesterday heard testimony of a defence witness and three lawyers who demanded compensation for injuries caused by five Emirati bloggers charged with attempting to undermine public order and opposing the government system.
Ahmad Mohammad Abdullah Bin Gareeb, editor of the first UAE online magazine Hetta, told the court the UAE Hewar website — on which messages allegedly posted by the accused insulted UAE leaders, called for FNC election boycott and called for demonstrations — had been blocked since February 2010.
"The messages were nothing more than constructive criticism of officials," Bin Gareeb said, adding that he had never seen any insults or derogatory remarks against UAE leaders.
‘Discredit witness'
The prosecution lawyers demanded that the court discredit the witness, because he was incriminated in a similar libel case.
The suspects — Ahmad Mansour Ali Abdullah Al Abd Al Shehi, Nasser Ahmad Khalfan Bin Gaith Al Merri, Fahd Salem Mohammad Salem Dalk, and Hassan Ali Hassan Al Khamis, all Emiratis, and Ahmad Abdul Khaleq Ahmad, who does not carry identification papers — are charged with instigating members of the public against the government, breaking laws and perpetrating acts that pose a threat to the state security, undermining public order, opposing the government and calling for boycotting the elections of the Federal National Council (FNC).
The men charged under article 176 for using the online political forum UAE Hewar, failed for the second time yesterday to show up for the hearing in protest against what they claimed denial of their basic rights while in custody, the defence lawyers said.
Dr Mohammad Al Rokn, a lawyer for the defendants, told the court, presided over by Judge Ahmad Abdul Hamid the defendants petitioned to be treated well during their detention and be given full access to documents of the case and be released on bail among other demands, but only one request was met — to make their hearing public.
Families' appeal
Dr Al Rokn presented to the court documents showing the political forum Hewar has a charter banning the posting of any derogatory remarks, rumours and false news and that the forum's administrators cannot control every post.
He insisted that the court allow the defence lawyers to cross-examine prosecution witnesses. The court has adjourned the hearing until October 23 for the defence lawyers to present their case and to hear testimonies of more defence witnesses..
The prosecution told the court the men insulted the UAE leaders and urged citizens to revolt against them and follow in the footsteps of Egypt's January 25 revolution and boycott elections of the FNC. In their first appearance in the court last month, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges, according to their lawyer, Abdul Hamid Al Kumaiti. Meanwhile, the families of the five bloggers made a joint plea, to the country's leadership to stop the trial, cancel the charges and release them.
