Five bloggers get jail up to three years

ABU DHABI — The Federal Supreme Court on Sunday sentenced five bloggers to prison terms of up to three years on charges of insulting the rulers and stoking dissent.

First accused Ahmed Mansour Ali Abdullah Al Abd Al Shehi was sentenced to three years, while Nasser Ahmed Khalfan bin Gaith, Fahad Salim Mohammed Salim Dalk and Hassan Ali Al Khamis, all Emiratis, received two years in jail. Another man, Ahmed Abdul Khaleq Ahmed, who does not possess papers, was also slapped with a two-year sentence.

The court ordered the confiscation of the equipment used by the five and the shutting down of an anti-government Web site run by them. It also ordered that civil cases against the men be referred to the competent civil court.

The five, who were arrested in April, were accused of using the Internet to insult UAE leaders, call for a boycott of September’s Federal National Council elections and for anti-government demonstrations.

The verdict is not open to appeal. — news@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE