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UAE to set up rehab centres for those ‘lured’ by terror cells

Official warned that the law will punish any citizens or residents “found in possession of audio-video instruments of any kind that may promote violence”.

The UAE will soon set up centres to counsel and rehabilitate persons “lured and misled” into joining terror groups and organisations. Some “precautionary measures” will be taken against the persons detained here, based on “final judicial judgments”, said Sultan Juma Al Shamsi, Rapporteur of the Legislative and Legal Committee at the Federal National Council (FNC).

Al Shamsi said the establishment of such centres will be made under the recently promulgated anti-terror law.

These centres, Al Shamsi said, will come up across the country. Among its staff will be psychiatrists, social workers and preachers to help rehabilitate persons who get lured to international terror groups and cells. Al Shamsi told Khaleej Times that Article 68 of the anti-terror law stipulates that the centre will guide and rehabilitate the convicts of terror cases.

“Convicts of terror cases will be sent to these centres after or while serving their jail sentences,” he said.

These centres will help “protect the homeland’s citizens, restore them and help them get rid of any poisonous views and malicious thoughts”.

Al Shamsi warned that the law will punish any citizens or residents “found in possession of audio-video instruments of any kind that may promote violence”.

Such centres will be set up depending on the need of each emirate, Al Shamsi affirmed.

The anti-terror law, Al Shamsi said, will punish anyone who sets up or manages a centre to commit terror crimes or facilitate training or gets trained by terror groups. “If people are found in possession of unconventional weapons like biological, radioactive or chemical ones, the penalty will be more stringent.”

The law also has provisions to punish anyone who has knowledge about terror crimes in the country and fails to report it to the competent authorities. “Anyone who gives false reports about terror, especially to create panic in the country, will get maximum punishment.”

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com