UAE Court Convicts More Than 50 People on Terrorism Charges
(Bloomberg) -- The United Arab Emirates convicted more than 50 people on terrorism charges, accusing them of operating and working with the Muslim Brotherhood, designated a terrorist organization in the Gulf country.
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It gave sentences ranging from life in prison to fines worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to state-run WAM news agency.
A court in Abu Dhabi, the capital, said some of the people backed the group in “articles and tweets posted on social media platforms, with prior knowledge of its purpose to take action against the country.” Others were convicted of money laundering for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Human Rights Watch and other groups condemned the “fundamentally unfair trial” of “human rights defenders and political dissidents.”
Some of the accused were already serving sentences for similar charges.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an organization of political Islamists with affiliates across the Middle East. It’s long been feared and suppressed by ruling families in the Gulf. It briefly took power in Egypt in 2012, before being overthrown the following year by the Egyptian military.
Abu Dhabi authorities said the verdict can be appealed before the Federal Supreme Court.
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