UAE court adjourns case of 84 facing terror charges

The hearing of a case involving 84 people charged with establishing and managing a terrorist organisation in the UAE, has been adjourned to April 18.

The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court adjourned the case in order to complete hearing the defence pleas.

The 84 defendants face charges of planning terrorist acts, fundraising for the ‘Justice and Dignity Committee’ terrorist organisation, and concealing the source and destination of those funds.

During the session held on Friday, which was attended by the defendants' families and media representatives, the court heard over three and a half hours of defence arguments.

The lawyers for the accused challenged the validity of the charges presented by the Prosecution and contested the evidence submitted, including the investigations and technical and financial reports.

They argued that these reports relied heavily on analysis, leaving room for doubt and uncertainty, and demanded the acquittal and release of their clients, noting to the absence of criminal intent due to their clients’ lack of knowledge of the organisation’s true intentions.

The defence also argued that the court lacked jurisdiction due to a prior judgment in a previous case, i.e. Case No. 79 of 2012. This formed a fundamental aspect of their defence strategy, which all defendants endorsed.

It is noteworthy that the Public Prosecution dedicated part of its previous sessions to addressing the argument for lack of jurisprudence.

They highlighted distinctions between the current case and past trials involving the defendants, supported by evidence.

The Prosecution further strengthened its argument by outlining the criteria governing application to dismissing a case due to a prior judgment.

They also cited specific rulings from the Federal Supreme Court to support their position.