Two stand trial for using social media to push terror ideologies

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Two stand trial for using social media to push terror ideologies
(Representational image)

Abu Dhabi - The court adjourned the case to November 7 to listen to the defence lawyer.

by

Mustafa Al Zarooni

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Published: Tue 18 Oct 2016, 10:46 PM

Two Emirati men stood trial at the State Security Circuit of the Federal Supreme Court on Monday, charged with creating and operating social media accounts for banned organisations and working with anti-national groups to promote terrorist activities.
The hearing was presided over by Judge Falah Al Hajeri.
Chief State Security Prosecutor Saqr Saif told the court that prime suspect N.A.Kh.B.M. created a social media account under the name UAE discussion forum (Muntada Al Hiwar Al Emirati) and used it to spread anti-national ideologies of Al Islah clandestine organisation, linked Muslim Brotherhood group, which is banned in the UAE.
The chief prosecutor accused said the prime suspect offended the country and its foreign policy and insulted a number of its symbols and senior officials using the account.
The second suspect, identified as H.A.D., is accused of establishing the so-called the Emirati Al Ummah party which has its headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the prosecution, the party calls for changing the regime of the UAE, and has dealings with other anti-national parties in GCC states and has links with Al Islah organisation.
The prime suspect allegedly travelled to Turkey to meet the leaders of Emirati Al Ummah party and coordinated with them to set up the UAE Anonymous Movement (Emirati Youths Movement), aimed to change the regime and promote terrorist outfits such as Al Islah group.
Counsellor Saqr Saif told the court that the suspect had communicated with some fugitive members of Al Islah organisation in Turkey and Europe with being fully aware of the fact that the persons he contacted are being wanted for calling for overthrowing the regime of the UAE.
In his final part of pleadings, chief state prosecutor told the court that the second suspect H.A.D. made contacts with terrorist outfits based in Syria and cooperated with them to establish Emirati Al Ummah party. The suspect also travelled to Libya and had connections with terrorist outfits there. He also had military training at the camps of these terror groups with the intent of creating a military force for the Emirati Al Ummah party, the prosecutor said, adding that the party had planned to commit terrorist acts in a number of GCC states including the UAE.
The court adjourned the case to November 7 to listen to the defence lawyer.
malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com


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