Abu Dhabi: Individuals and organisations designated as terrorists — internationally or locally — will be be subjected to stringent restrictions to allow for more intensive tracking and monitoring of their activities, members of the Federal National Council (FNC) said.
“The new anti-terrorism law authorises the Cabinet to designate as terrorists, persons and organisations posing a danger to the nation or so designated by international entities, including the UN Security Council and the EU,” Ahmad Al Zaabi, head of the legislative and legal committee of the House, said.
The new law, however, allows gives such individuals and organisations the right to appeal in court if the government turns down or fails to consider a complaint within 60 days.
People with extremist or terrorist views may also be subjected to controls on movement, association and communication under the new law.
“Strict restrictions, including travel ban, surveillance, no-go areas and ban on communication and association with certain people will be imposed on suspected terrorists, once warranted by the Public Prosecution and ruled by a court,” the law recently endorsed by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan says.
The public prosecutor needs to ask for these restrictions and a court needs to uphold them, Al Zaabi stressed.
These restrictions will be overseen by prosecutors, but the duration of their enforcement will be decided by a court, provided that the period does not exceed three months.
Based on reports by prosecutors, a court will determine whether these restrictions should be continued or revoked.
Individuals breaching these restrictions could face a jail sentence of up to a year.
The new law also allows the UAE Government relocate individuals designated as terrorists far from their homes, impose a travel ban, put them under surveillance and restrict communication.
The Cabinet will also establish counselling centres across the country where convicted and suspected terrorists will receive intensive religious, psychological and welfare counselling.
The primary purpose of the programme — a first for the UAE — is to reintegrate such individuals back into society, Sultan Al Shamsi, a member of the FNC and rapporteur of the FNC legislative and legal committee, said.
“The counter-radicalisation programme will provide convicted terrorists, on orders of the public prosecutor, with counselling by psychologists, social specialists and clerics during their prison terms,” Al Shamsi said.
Acting on requests by prosecutors, a court may also order that those who hold extremist views, but are not convicted, be enrolled into similar counter-radicalisation and counselling programmes to get them to change their belief system, reject the extremist ideology and embrace a moderate worldview.
Al Shamsi said the UAE’s counter-terrorism strategy aims to instil the concepts of moderation and tolerance, and to undermine any justification for extremism and terrorism on an intellectual level
The UAE recently set up the Muslim Council of Elders, an independent international body that aims to promote peace in Muslim societies.
Members of the council are expected to redouble their efforts to reunite the Islamic world and tackle extremist ideologies that are contrary to human values and tolerant virtues of Islam, according to the founding statement.
