34 found guilty of setting up Daesh-style group in UAE

Abu Dhabi - 11 defendants jailed for life for plotting to overthrow the government.

The State Security Circuit at the Supreme Federal Court in Abu Dhabi on Sunday found the group - which was known as Shabab Al Manara (Minaret youth group) - of plotting to carry out terrorist operations in the country. The group was also found guilty of endangering safety and security of the country and its residents, including the leadership and its symbols, with the intention to cause damage to state and private infrastructure and destabilise the country.

They were also charged with possessing firearms and ammunition with the intention of committing attacks, in addition to maintaining contacts and raising funds for other terrorist groups such as Al Nusra Front and Daesh in Syria.

Seven members of the group were acquitted, while two defendants were sentenced to 15 years in jail; 13 to 10 years; two to five years; and six to three years.

The group included four foreigners and 37 Emiratis.

The court also jailed four defendants to six months in jail on charges of possessing firearms without having an official permit. It also ordered the deportation of four defendants after serving their jail term. The court ordered that the group be dissolved and its equipment and gear be confiscated.

Read: 11 sentenced to life for terror plots across UAE

'Terror is an obsession'

The presiding judge of the court, Mohammed Al Jarrah al Tunaji, said at the beginning of the hearing: "Terrorism is an obsession countries and societies experience, and has become a perilous phenomenon threatening the social fabric. (Terrorists) uses violence as a vehicle to achieve its goals."

He described terrorism as the most dangerous type of crime, as it uses religion as an excuse to serve its purpose and does not believe in humanitarian and nationalistic values, legislation and agreements. "Countries have been keen on enacting laws and treaties which combat the menace and work to eliminate it by collective action," he said.

The UAE, he said, was the forerunner in enacting a law to combat terror crimes, and followed with amendments "which fit the intensity and growth of the phenomenon".

"Today we are looking into one of the most important cases tabled before this court, which has continued for several months, during which (the court) reviewed the established evidence in which the allegation was based, and listened to the statements of the defendants and the plea of the defence," he said.

These are the convicts ...

Sentenced to life in prison:

Khalid Abdullah Kalantar

Abdullah Khalid Abdullah Kalantar

Othman Khalid Abdullah Kalantar

Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Darwaish Al Beloushi

Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Yousef

Abdullah Ibrahim Hassan Abdullah Al Bashr

Abdul Rahman Mohammed Ahmed Dal al Marzouki

Abdul Rahman Hussein Ahmed Froozan al Marzouki

Abdul Aziz Hajji Ismail

Mohammed Abdul Latif Al Zarooni (sentenced in absentia)

Mansour Ali Al Shahari (sentenced in absentia)

Sentenced to 15 years:

Ghanim Saqr Al Mirri

Assim Saeed Khamees Obaid Al Naqabi

Some of the main terrorism cases tried in the UAE in the last three years

Khalid Kalantar, the firebrand leader of the terror group

Khalid Kalantar - the leader of the Shabab Al Manara group who has been jailed for life - swayed youths to extremist ideology with his rousing sermons from a mosque in Jumeirah.

Sources told Khaleej Times that the terror group met at Al Manara Mosque in Jumeirah. Nine members of Kalantar's family helped in recruiting young men for terror activities. Three of his sons are among the 41 accused in the case. One of his sons travelled to Syria and died fighting with one of the terrorist outfits there.

Kalantar, 53, 'fought' in Afghanistan with local freedom fighters against the Soviet Army in the 1980s. It is believed that the extremist in Kalantar came to the fore during the Afghan campaign, which led to the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country.

Back in the UAE, the firebrand preacher continued to back the Mujahiddeen (freedom fighters) across the world. He began teaching Islamic studies in the 90s when he worked in three government schools. Investigations show he was terminated from service for his hardline views. He later went on to start his own school where he worked as principal.

At Al Manara Mosque, he ranted against the West and asked the faithful to join jihad (holy war). Authorities intervened and he was suspended from his role as a preacher many times.

That did not stop him from inciting and helping 10 Emiratis to travel to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist groups. Sources said Kalantar organised 'entertainment camps' on the outskirts of Dubai - in Al Warqa and the north of the emirate - for youths where they were given military training. He asked them to free themselves from their parents' 'clutches' and carry out terror acts to uphold their religion.

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE