A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has handed down life sentences to 43 activists convicted of terrorism-related offenses, according to state media reports from the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal.
The court found the defendants guilty of “creating a terrorist organization,” sparking criticism from United Nations experts and human rights organizations.
The trial, involving more than 80 human rights defenders and political dissidents known as the “UAE 84,” focused on allegations that the defendants were involved in the “Justice and Dignity Committee,” deemed a clandestine group aimed at carrying out violent acts and terrorism within the UAE.
Most defendants were identified as members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated as a terrorist organization in the UAE since 2014, including its local affiliate, the al-Islah party.
According to the official WAM news agency, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal sentenced 43 defendants to life imprisonment for their roles in establishing and managing the alleged terrorist organization. Additionally, 10 other defendants received sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for charges related to “cooperating with al-Islah” and money laundering.
One defendant was acquitted, and 24 cases were deemed inadmissible.
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Many of the defendants had previously been imprisoned following the “UAE 94” trial in 2013, with some already completing their sentences.
However, the latest charges, including accusations of financing terrorism, were described by UAE authorities as distinct from those brought in 2013.
Critics, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), raised concerns about the transparency of the trial, noting that details of the indictment, charges, defense lawyers, and defendant names were largely kept secret by the government.
HRW identified several prominent activists among those sentenced, including Nasser bin Ghaith, Abdulsalam Darwish al-Marzouqi, Sultan Bin Kayed al-Qasimi, and Ahmed Mansoor.
Reacting to the verdicts, Amnesty International called on the UAE to overturn the sentences immediately, criticizing the trial as a violation of fundamental legal principles, including double jeopardy and retroactive punishment under new laws.
Khalid Ibrahim of the Gulf Center for Human Rights condemned the verdicts, lamenting the prolonged imprisonment of activists who had advocated for reform within the UAE.
Despite its economic prosperity and technological advancements, the UAE maintains strict controls on political activities, lacking official opposition parties and banning political organizations.
Previous crackdowns on Islamist groups in 2013 saw nearly 70 individuals imprisoned over alleged plots to overthrow the government.
