Abu Dhabi: The trial of a group of 41 suspects of various nationalities, including Emiratis, charged with plotting to overthrow the Government and establish a Daesh-style ‘caliphate state’, will start on Monday, Dr Abdul Wahab Abdool, Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court — the country’s highest court — told Gulf News on Sunday.
Prosecutors have said the accused were charged with setting up and running a terrorist organisation named Shabab Al Manarah, ‘The Minaret’s Youths’ which upholds terrorist ideology with the intent to commit terrorist acts in the UAE territories and endanger its security and peace and lives of its people, including their leaders.
Salem Saeed Kubaish, UAE’s Attorney-General, has said that the suspects were also charged with intending to inflict damage to private and public properties to eventually seize power to set up a so-called caliphate state in line with their extremist ideology.
“To carry out their terrorist acts, the suspects procured firearms, ammunition and explosives using funds they raised for this purpose and communicated with foreign militants. These militants provided these suspects with funds and people to achieve their goals inside the country,” Kubaish said.
Convicted terrorists will face capital punishment, life imprisonment and fines of up to Dh100 million, according to a federal law to combat terrorism endorsed last year.
The law ushered in new security measures to counter a sweeping range of crimes deemed acts of terror at a time when international efforts are being mustered to fight the global menace.
The trial follows the launch of a centre to counter terrorist propaganda.
The Sawab Centre launched last month by the UAE and the US works to counter the Daesh group’s narrative by promoting tolerant voices from the region.
In January last year, 30 defendants were convicted of having links to the terrorist group Muslim Brotherhood.
