Abu Dhabi: The State Security Court of the Federal Supreme Court on Monday upheld a seven-year sentence for a man convicted in an espionage case.
The court adjourned another two cases to March 5 and one to March 19 for final verdicts.
In the first case, presiding judge Falah Al Hajiri confirmed seven-year imprisonment for an Emirati man found guilty of spying for Iran and providing agents of the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi with maps and information on oil and gas fields.
The court also ordered the defendant to bear all legal fees.
In the second case, a Gulf citizen who was sentenced by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals to 15 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of communicating with a foreign state and transferring sensitive information and secrets to agents working in the embassy of that country, had his case adjourned to March 19 for a final verdict.
The defendant told the court that prosecutors did not provide him with case documents so that he could write a defence memorandum nor did they facilitate his meeting with his lawyer.
The man also challenged investigation procedures. He claimed that he did not know the details of the sentence issued by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals. He sought a fresh investigation and also asked the court to allow him to prepare a defence argument in consultation with his lawyer.
The judge rejected his request for a fresh investigation, but agreed to postpone the verdict so that his lawyer has time to prepare a defence memorandum. However, the prosecutor refused to meet with the defence lawyer.
The third case involved an appeal filed by a Gulf citizen, who was sentenced by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals to three years’ imprisonment, and an Emirati, who was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for spying for Iran and insulting UAE leaders.
Their lawyer, Abdul Qader Al Haithami, pleaded their innocence, challenging the investigations because the defendants did not sign any of the records and also refused to sign the statement submitted by the State Security Prosecution, which accused them of communicating with Iran and insulting UAE leaders.
Al Haithami said that the witness presented by the prosecution is the investigating officer and did not witness any of the acts attributed to his clients. He said there was no evidence to support the claims of the witness.
The judge adjourned the case to March 5 for a final verdict.
The last case, in which an Emirati man was sentenced to 15 years in jail for spying for Iran, was adjourned to March 5 for a verdict.
