Court rejects case of seven emiratis stripped of citizenship

Abu Dhabi: The case of seven Emiratis stripped of citizenship last year was rejected because of what the court ruled that the case does not come under the jurisdiction of the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of First Instance, the court stated yesterday.

“It is iillegal to file a plea against the Ministryof Interior’s decision to withdraw the citizenship certificates and passports of the defendants, because the decision was in implementation of the Presidential Decree revoking the citizenship,’ the court, presided over by judge Waleed Al Ammari,said in its ruling.

Al Ammarii later explainexd that the court can only look into the decisions which principally changes the legal status of persons. ‘but the defence targetted only the interior Minister’s decision which was taken in implementation of the Presidential Decree revoking the citizenship.”

In December, the UAE revoked their citizenship on grounds the seven posed a threat to national security.

Dr Mohammad Al Rokn, lawyer defending the seven Emiratis stripped of citizenship, told Gulf News after the hearing he will appeal the court’s ruling and file a new petition.

The seven, who had been detained for refusing to seek alternative citizenship, did not attend the hearing because it is an administrative case, which makes it mandatory for litigants to appear in court only in criminal lawsuits.

Sara Al Shamsi, representing the Ministry of Interior, earlier submitted to the court the decrees which stripped the seven men of their citizenship.