Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal’s State Security Chamber has set a hearing date of July 10 to deliver the verdict in the Case No. 87 of 2023 - State Security Offenses, involving the terrorist ‘Justice and Dignity Committee’ organisation.
This follows a 10-day window granted to defence lawyers to submit their closing arguments.
As many as 84 defendants stand accused in this case of establishing and managing a clandestine terrorist organisation in the UAE known as the Justice and Dignity Committee. The charges against them include planning terrorist acts, fundraising for the organisation, and concealing the source and destination of those funds.
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In Thurday’s session, attended by the defendants’ families and media representatives, the court heard defence lawyers’ pleas and their response to the public prosecution. The defence lawyers presented supplementary memos in response to the prosecution’s arguments regarding the defendants’ pleas.
The public prosecution reaffirmed their position as articulated in the opening statement. The prosecution representative contended that the current charges are materially distinct from those in the prior Case No. 79 of 2012, as they involve demonstrably criminal actions. These constitute a separate offence under the principle of material plurality. Notably, the financing of a terrorist organisation was not encompassed in the previous trial.
The court also listened - during the three-hour session - to the defendants’ own pleadings in the presence of their lawyers. In their pleadings, the defendants argued that the charges against them were invalid and that the case could not be considered because it had been previously adjudicated in a ruling in the aforementioned case as a primary plea in the case. They also questioned the evidence presented by the public prosecution, including investigations, technical, financial and media reports. The court then decided to set a hearing date of July 10 to deliver the verdict in the case.
