Ten years for activist in UAE

An United Arab Emirates (UAE) appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison sentence against prominent pro-democracy activist Ahmed Mansoor for criticising the government on social media, Amnesty International reported. The father of four was also handed a fine of one million dirham (270.000 dollar). 

Mansoor, an electrical engineer and poet, was arrested in March 2017 and sentenced in May by Abu Dhabi's Federal Appeals Court for "defaming the UAE through social media channels".

Mansoor was among five activists convicted and later pardoned for insulting the UAE's rulers in 2011.He was arrested again in March 2017 at his home in Ajman. The charges were publishing false information and rumours, and promoting a sectarian and hate-incited agenda.

Saudiya, UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain advise citizens to leave Lebanon

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have advised their citizens not to travel to Lebanon and urged those who are in the country to leave as soon as possible. Saudi Arabia's official news agency SPA quoted a source in the foreign ministry on Thursday as saying: "Due to the situations in the Republic of Lebanon, the official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Saudi nationals visiting or residing in Lebanon are asked to leave the country as soon as possible. "The Kingdom advised all citizens not to travel to Lebanon from any other international destinations."
Only hours later, Kuwait and the UAE also urged its nationals to leave Lebanon immediately. Bahrain - an ally of Saudi Arabia - had already ordered its citizens to leave Lebanon on Sunday, with the Bahraini foreign ministry issuing a travel advisory that cited "safety considerations".

S-Arabia designates the Muslim Brotherhood, Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS ''terrorist organizations''

Leaders of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherood in happier days. Second from left is the deposed president Morsi, third form left is the Guide (leader) of the Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie.  

Saudi Arabia has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.The kingdom has also designated as terrorist the Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), whose fighters are battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Interior Ministry said in a statement published by state media.
Friday's move appeared to enforce a royal decree last month in which Riyadh, which backs some rebel groups in Syria with money and arms, said it would jail for between three and 20 years any citizen found guilty of fighting in conflicts abroad.
The Saudi Interior Ministry also listed as terrorist Yemen's Shi'ite Houthi movement and Hezbollah, a radical Shi'ite group in Saudi Arabia's eastern province which authorities say is linked to Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah.

UAE sentences 69 in mass coup plot trial

Sixty-nine of 94 Emiratis on trial for sedition were found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years. Judge Falah Al Hajeri (picture) acquitted 25 accused, including all 13 women. Eight men tried in their absence were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Of the others, 56 were jailed for 10 years to be followed by three years’ probation and five men were jailed for seven years.

Judge Al-Hajeri

State Security officials were ordered to seize financial assets from some of the guilty men, including Dh1.1 million from a front company used by the group, and a farm and two buildings.
The judge also ordered the closure of three educational centres run by the group and five websites, including that of Al Islah.
The 94 were accused of being members of a secret political organisation whose goal was to undermine the nation’s rulers and ultimately lead to the downfall of the Government. Prosecutors claimed that the group al-Islah — which was headed by the ruler's cousin al-Qasimi — was influenced by Muslim Brotherhood ideology to oppose the Western-oriented system in the UAE. The suspects rejected the claims, saying the group only supported Islamic viewpoints and conducted needed social outreach in poorer areas of the country beyond the skylines of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The State Security Court was packed with relatives, human-rights organisations, media and bailiffs awaiting the verdict.
 All 94 – most of whom were former teachers, professors, lawyers, judges and writers – had denied the charges. Some had admitted affiliation to the organisation, but insisted it was not linked to the Brotherhood and sought nothing more than “reform”.